Sexting Tragedy: Jamie Metrick

Okay parents, I'm going to say something you probably don't want to hear; teens are sexual beings. Your teenagers have sex lives whether or not they have full-on intercourse. They are exploring their sexual likes and dislikes and are hopefully finding safe, responsible, and healthy sexual outlets. Teenagers also know a lot more about technology than you do. So of course  they have figured out how to use something as innocuous as texting to explore their sexual playfulness. Now I'm going to say something teens don't want to hear; don't send pictures of your genitals over the phone/internet! Even if your boy/girlfriend swears they'll be the only one to see it somehow, someway someone else is going to see it. You could have a vengeful ex, a prying parent, or just a nosy friend with a forwarding list.

Unfortunately, Jessica Logan made this mistake. But that's all it was, a stupid teenage mistake. What Ryan Saylers allegedly did, on the other hand, was cruel and humiliating and could have landed him in jail. In fact their are several cases in the U.S. of seventeen and eighteen-year-olds being charged with distributing child pornography for possessing nude pictures of their consenting partners who are minors. Saylers is lucky to not have his life ruined but chose to make Logan's short life a living hell in return. To me this is not so much a "sexting scandal" as it is just another case in a continuing problem of extreme bullying and harassment amongst teens. The details of this case sound very familiar to me: a girl who is really the victim of sexual exploitation is blamed, ostracized, and harassed by her fellow schoolmates. Jessica's parents have a right to sue Saylers and Co. for emotional cruelty, Officer Payne for giving their daughter truly dumb advice, and the school board for turning a blind eye to Logan's obvious harassment.

While I personally don't see the merit in sexting, teens are still going to do it. And you know what, it is their right to explore their sexuality and take the risk of exposure if they want to. Parents ultimately cannot control the raging bundle of hormones and curiosity that are teenagers, and maybe to a reasonable extent they should not. No matter how much abstinence-only brainwashing you teach or how many chastity rings you can slip on their fingers, teens are going get frisky. The best parents and schools can do is have honest, comprehensive sex ed. programs and help teens make informed decisions about sex. That, and stricter anti-bullying policies.

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