Sexting

Sexting

Sexting involves sending and receiving sexually suggestive videos, images, and/or texts across digital media.

This includes mobile phones, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr etc.

The Victorian Government have introduced new sexting laws.

These new laws are a good step in helping to protect young people from being charged with child pornography just because they may have been sexting.

The new laws state that it is now legal for young people under 18 to create, store or send a sext of themselves or another young person where there is no more than 2 years age difference.

The new laws make it illegal:

•  For people to send images without the consent of the other person.

•  To send images onto a third party

•  To send or receive sexts to intentionally embarrass or humiliate another person

•  To share or store images of crimes such as a sexual assault

But I trust the person I am sexting…

Even if you feel like you can trust the person you are sexting, it’s important to remember that the sexts you send can be saved forever.

This means if at any stage in the future that trust breaks down, the person you have sexted may print and share your images with their friends or even online.

It’s ok, I use Snapchat…

People using Snapchat can easily store your images by taking a screenshot or saving unopened messages to their computer.

Everyone’s doing it though.
If I don’t then my boyfriend / girlfriend will react badly…

Pressuring somebody into any kind of sexual activity is sexual assault. It’s your body and you have a right to be respected.

If you feel pressured to do something you don’t want to do or receive unwanted sexts, tell somebody you trust and seek support.