Jobhop Jobhop's blog : Sexting, its career implications and other things
Currently, sexting is topical; it’s been called a crisis and children as young as 12 have been caught up in it. In case you’re not familiar with the term sexting, it’s sending sexual pictures or videos of yourself via your mobile or online.
The problem is sexting can go on undetected, it’s only when something happens, and the sext gets out into the public does anyone get to find out and by that time it’s too late the damage is done. Another worry is that it’s becoming a “normal” thing to do amongst young people, many can’t see any wrong it and much more don’t even know it’s illegal to sext under the age of 18 years old. Sending or having images on your phone of someone under the age of 18 is illegal, even if that person wanted you to have the images. Some people may think it’s just normal communication between sexual partners but some young people sext to try and get the attention of someone they fancy, there are also those who are bullied into sexting.
Things can go drastically wrong in the murky world of sexting, sexts can be screen shot and shared quickly across social media, nothing is private even when you think it is. Mobiles can get stolen and images uploaded to the net, you’ll get to hear about the sexts from people who’ve seen them online.
As well as the embarrassment there’s the possibility sexts could get into the wrong hands, there are evil people out there who could threaten you, demand more pictures from you or even blackmail you; this is cyber bullying.
In the heat of the moment when the sext is sent people tend to forget what could happen if things go wrong, but it’s something that must be thought out.
Looking into the future how could sexting affect your career? Well, if you have a criminal record for possessing images of minors on your mobile, that’s not a good start, you’ll have to declare that. Employers and recruiters tend to check out digital dirt and stumbling upon your sexts are not good for anyone. If you know what sites your sext has been shared to, then you must contact them and ask for it to be removed. Sometimes sexts can end up on adult sex sites, if that happens you may need the police to intervene, it will be a challenge to remove the picture though if the site is situated outside of the UK.
As well as dealing with the practical side of sexting when it goes wrong, you as a person may feel damaged, and you may need some emotional help. Losing your confidence and also depression can be symptoms of sexting when it goes wrong. Remember, don’t bottle everything up, you must seek help. The road to recovery after a sexting mishap can be a long one, but you can recover from it.
Some advice
Keep your contact details secure
Think of future consequences before you send anything
If you receive a sext, do not share it, delete it
If a sext of yours is shared, you must speak to someone in authority
Block bullies and report them
Childline offers great advice You can also call them 0800 1111
If you’ve made a mistake then don’t wait until it escalates, deal with it and remember there are plenty of people who will help, they won’t judge you.
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In:- Expert