Sexting With my Boo

Sexting, come on – we know you know what it is 😉 – or maybe not, and that’s cool too!

Look, it’s exciting – we toooootally get it.

But sexting has it’s risks too. Ever heard of the celebrity scandal back in 2014 where they all got their nude photos leaked? It might have been funny or entertaining to us, but imagine being in their shoes – not so fun, huh?

So whether you’re sending or receiving nudes, flirty messages, or chatting ‘nasty’ with your bae – let’s get real about sexting.

To learn more about sexting and law watch this short video below from Justice for Children and Youth:

*Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL-89NBUam4. Permission granted from Justice from Children and Youth.

What is sexting exactly? 

Sexting can mean many things. It can be an exchange of nude pictures or even flirty, sexual messages. This can happen through text, email, Facebook chat, so on and so forth. It can be with someone you just know online, or maybe someone you know or are dating in person.

Let’s get something straight – once you send that text, it’s gone and out of your control. So you need to be confident about what you are sending. With the growth of the internet, it’s only natural that our ways of flirting have changed too, and if that involves nude pics so be it.

But the difference between taking a nude photo, and being nude in front of your bae is that the image never goes away, and you can’t control where it goes. Once we take pictures or send messages online, there is no way of getting them back. So always keep your safety in mind.

Will I get in trouble? 

Yes… and no.

The first and most important part about sexting is your consent. If you send a sext or nude image willingly, or consent to your sext or nude image being sent, that’s the most important thing.

But if you’re under the age of 16 or are interacting with another person under the age of 16, things can get a little more complicated.

Kids Help Phone has great information on consent and sexting. They say that you should be okay if:

1. You consent to it 100% (your consent is obvious and you say yes at every stage).
2. The images remain private and
3. It doesn’t show any images of physical or sexual assault.

When does it become a problem:

It becomes a problem if consent did not happen or if you were forced to do something you didn’t want to do, as it might be illegal or considered child pornography.

I get it… but I still want to sext – so how can I do it safer? 

Like we said from the start – sexting is fun and no one can keep you from doing it (you do you!). But if you are going to do it, here’s a tip on how to keep the risks to a minimum.

One of the biggest issues with sexting nude images is the possibility of the photo being shared or spread against your will, so to keep yourself from being identified, do your best to keep these things out of the picture:

• Your face
• Tattoos
• Birth Marks
• Unique Jewellery
• Any identifying markers that can tie the image back to you

You might trust your boo now or the safety of snapchats “instant” image sharing, but you never know – and it’s honestly better safe than sorry – so look out for yourself!