Sexcasting Escalates Sexting to New Level

Teens who sext are taking the habit to a whole new level of risk, creating and sending sexual video content across platforms like YouTube with their cell phones – known as "sexcasting." Most are unaware of the dangers, along with the reality that content placed online is never truly private and can remain online forever.

Experts say the rise of sexcasting is due in part to the constant availability of video producing capacity on most smartphones, and the speed and ease at which a teen can share a video or receive one. The dangers are very real, say experts from Parenting Today’s Kids in a recent article.

The first line of defense may be knowing exactly what children are viewing and doing on their phones, as well as who is sending them information. In conjunction, parents are urged to have conversations over and over again with teens about the risks of sexting and sexcasting. This includes being a victim of cyberbullying, having a sexual predator on the other side of the screen, or having those images shared for years to come. In some states, making and sharing the material can carry criminal charges of child pornography. Cases of sexcasting have been noted in which the victim was unaware they were being recorded, such as a school locker area or other places.

The number of teens engaging in the behavior continues to climb. An AP-MTV study, noted in the article, said that more than 30 percent of teens have gotten messages on their phone or computer that were sexual in nature, and around one-fifth have been recipients of sexual images or sexual videos. Many said they felt teen peer pressure to be involved in sexting or sexcasting. Most don’t fully understand how sexcasting can cause a serious and life-changing impact on their lives.

Experts also recommend that parents use monitoring or filtering technology to help prevent teens from receiving sexual content, as well as software that will alert them of exactly what types of photos or videos are coming into (or going out from) their child’s phone, computer or Ipad device.

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