"Sexting" at school leads to seized cellphones, computers.

I just ran across this article...

Lake Hamilton students suspended for sexting

According to the Sheriff’s Department, the principal and superintendent were made aware of the possibility that students were sending each other sexually explicit photos. They were forwarded the images to determine if it was actually going on and for disciplinary purposes. Once they received the images, they contacted the Sheriff’s Department.

The Sheriff’s Department says that since the images were sent to the principal and superintendent, their computers were seized, along with several students’ cell phones. The Sheriff’s Department says that most of the images appear to have come from online websites. They were unable to determine if any of the images are of students or not and the investigation is still open.

I thought the story was odd.

I can understand the school having a policy against cellphones, and/or "sexting". But at what point does it become a matter for the police?

I also wondered, at what point did the principal think it was ok to have images potentially containing underage children to be forwarded to his computer?

Do you think it was the right call to involve the police for student's potentially sending nude images of themselves to one another?

Being a parent, I have to say I'm against my children sexting with some other kid. But I'm not sure if it's illegal, or that barring an adult/child situation it should be.

Any thoughts?

reply to post by ThaLoccster


Bringing the State into anything voluntary is wrong and unethical. This is one of the countless problems with "public" schools. No student ever signed any contract stating he/she would not engage in sexting or that kind of conduct. The State arbitrarily makes up rules and enforces them as it goes along and the individuals affected by it have no say in the matter.

dont u think they do that to alert the parents of whats going on

There's nothing wrong with it. It's a natural occurrence that begins at young ages. They shouldn't be restricting kids from something that they will eventually be exposed to anyways. They shouldn't be wasting their resources on the restriction of sexting. Instead, they should be worrying about drugs and violence. Sexting is not even harming anyone. It's a joke compared to the other problems. If I was their principal, I wouldn't care if kids were sending nude pictures to each other. Natural tendencies shouldn't be prohibited.

I grew up a generation too late. It used to be nerve racking as hell trying ask out a girl with hopes of getting somewhere. Now just keep trying on Facebook until you find a girl willing to share pics with you.

Originally posted by karileigh77
dont u think they do that to alert the parents of whats going on

If my children were involved I would definitely want to be notified, and then I would be upset that the police were even brought into the situation, not to mention that the images were forwarded to the principal.

Originally posted by Condemned0625
There's nothing wrong with it. It's a natural occurrence that begins at young ages. They shouldn't be restricting kids from something that they will eventually be exposed to anyways. They shouldn't be wasting their resources on the restriction of sexting. Instead, they should be worrying about drugs and violence. Sexting is not even harming anyone. It's a joke compared to the other problems. If I was their principal, I wouldn't care if kids were sending nude pictures to each other. Natural tendencies shouldn't be prohibited.

edit on 4/6/2011 by Condemned0625 because: (no reason given)

I can agree to an extent. While I don't necessarily think its ok, I don't exactly think there's something wrong with it either. But, school is definitely not the place for that. By your logic you might as well let them have sex in the hallways because they'll be having sex one day anyways.

I think a ban on cellphones would have prevented this, and I don't understand why, or if they don't have one. I know when I was in school we weren't allowed to have pagers, or walkmans etc..(90's)

I agree sex is something kids need to learn about and understand, but sexting at school isn't exactly the lesson I want my children to have.

I also don't think sexting is hamless. Plenty of young people don't fully understand the consequences and repurcussions that could come from sending someone naked pictures of yourself. Often the pictures are spread around and used as a way to humilate and ridicule someone.

to those of u with kids this is a good thing. we dont want our kids sexting we all know what that will lead to

but no i dont want eveybody and there moma seeing it then we have problems