The problem comes mainly from the possible circulation of these photos between students of the same class, a college, a high school, or worse, the dissemination of these images on Facebook, MySpace or YouTube, says Dominique Delorme, head of the net-listening-family helpline (0 820 200 000) set up by the government last year. "
From love game to blackmail
Why are we sending compromising photos to others? "It could be a spurned lover, a malevolent friend or even a pervert, a predator, who lies on his identity, pretending to be a girl and urging the teen to undress in front of her. his webcam, says Dominique Delorme. Because sexting is not just about the laptop, but about the Internet . I get phone calls from parents shocked by what they saw on their child's mobile phone. The teenager thus exposed risks being sidelined by his class, his establishment, being mocked or even blackmailed. For example, in the United States, a young girl, whose compromising clichés had circulated, killed herself last year.
And the right in all this?
Protection of privacy, right to the image, sexting should be an offense easily reprehensible . The law punishes the distribution of pornographic images of minors. But it is also necessary to prove that the victim was not consenting, according to the Central Office of fight against the crime related to the technologies of the information and the communication, which is not always easy.
How to protect our children?
- Explaining to older people that to accept to pose in illegal positions, even by play, with his lover (s) of the moment, represents a devaluation of oneself , a way of presenting oneself which can harm them, even later in their professional life, with the search for information on candidates by Facebook.
- By asking the operator to activate free parental control that blocks access to certain sensitive content such as dating or charming sites. One million parents have already done so according to the Afom (French Association of Mobile Operators).
- By insisting on the youngest to show an adult (not necessarily you!) The received photos that shock them or make them uncomfortable. They must not answer (we do not know who is behind these photos), let alone transmit them. However, you must keep the images , screenshots, conversations msn to build a folder. We can then alert the official website www.internet-mineurs.gouv.fr about any illegal content and file a complaint to the police station if you are the direct victim.
Teenagers always more connected
71% of 12-14 year olds and 94% of 15-17 year olds have a personal mobile phone . Their favorite activities? Send text, photos or videos (73% of 12-14 year olds and 70% of 15-17 year olds).
A naiveté often confusing
For psycho-sociologist Jean Epstein *, the new technologies allow young people to express their primitive need to create a bond , but also reflects their ambivalence towards their bodies. "They want to make it exist, so show it, but also need to reassure themselves about their complexes. It is then a ritual, a way of showing that one is capable of it. In their naivete, they do not understand the danger and can be destroyed by the humiliation of a public exhibition. "
* Jean Epstein just published We are wonderful parents at Flammarion.
