After reading Katrina Freund’s blog post concerning teen sexting and child pornography, my interest was piqued. I had no idea the Republicans were taking such a strong stance against sexting, going so far as to categorize it with child pornography. I agree with Katrina, in that it is ridiculous to confuse “raging hormones” with a serious mental or emotional instability that comes with the pretense that it’s okay to exploit young children in ways that is humiliating, dangerous, and permanently scarring. A compromise is definitely in order, and Katrina mentioned one that I support wholeheartedly.
To base the severity of the punishment on the age difference between the parties involved is a good point. That way, teenagers aren’t forced to succumb to adult punishment, and adults aren’t let off the hook easily. It is a flexible idea, one that can be molded to fit each substantial case that is brought to court.
However, I was curious as to what exactly Katrina had in mind for those that are underage; surely serving jail time is a little extreme, and community service isn’t exactly proper punishment for sexting. I feel that teenage sexting should be taken care of by the parents or guardians, not the courts. If anything, the parents or guardians should be held responsible for not being aware of what their children are getting themselves into; pictures sent over anything technological can be shot through cyberspace for the world to see. If it gets to that point, it should be considered a crime. Anything under that should be left up to the parents.
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