Teen sexting: What to do if you catch your teen sexting someone

Every parent thinks that they know their kids well. Their likes, dislikes, friends and interests, but what happens behind the closed doors and on their private chats is hard to figure out.

The thought of catching your teen sexting someone may seem far fetched but that does not guarantee that your teen is not involved in it. As kids grow up and start using cell phones and the internet without supervision, it is hard to keep a track of their online activities. So, you cannot rule out the possibility of your kids being engaged in it.

Sex is still a topic of taboo in many families. Parents refrain from discussing the issue at home and giving any proper guidance about it to their kids. So, it naturally comes as a shocker when they learn their teens are sexting.

Sexting or ‘sex texting’ has become increasingly common in the past decades due to blooming social media sites and different modes of communication. In general language, sexting is referred to as exchanging sexual material like text, pictures and videos through a social networking app. It has become a common part of adolescent sexual development.

If you caught your kids sending their nudes or sext to a classmate and any adult, you need to tackle the situation strategically and avoid blowing things out of proportion. Here are 5 tips on preventing and handling such a situation.

It is common for parents to think that their kids are smart and would not get involved in such activities. For the same reason, most parents just pass over the matter when they find their kids sending sexual content to a friend or classmate. It is crucial to acknowledge what you have read or seen on your kid's chat. Acknowledging is the first step and after that comes the need to maintain your calm. Do not start shouting and questioning your child, these things do not help to solve the matter at hand.

Take a day, if needed, to calm your mind and gather your thoughts, then talk to your kid about it. Your teen may accuse you of invading their privacy and may throw a fit about it, so you must stay calm. Have an open conversation about it, without making them feel guilty about anything. Try to understand why they did it and make them aware of the risks of sending pictures and videos to others. Be clear about the criminal consequences with your teen and responsible usage of the digital platform.

Set some ground rules about responsible usage of the digital platform. How to text responsibly, set the privacy setting, removing digital footprint, the content they could share with others and setting strong passwords. Even in the case of dating, set some guidelines about what is acceptable and what is not and apprise them about the consequence of breaking these rules beforehand. Also, ask not to befriend anyone they meet on social networking sites and have not ever met in person.

It is practically not possible to remove access to electronic devices and social media handles from your teens. The best way to deal with the situation is to keep a track of their activities and encourage them to make more meaningful connections. Check privacy modes and content being shared online and the kind of people your teen hangs out with.

If you find that your teen is being blackmailed to send pictures or someone is sending such content to them, do not hesitate to seek legal action. Forcing someone or even sending someone these kinds of content without consent is a punishable crime. Taking the right action at the right time can protect yours as well as many other kids.