Why sexting must be on the curriculum
Sheri
Madigan, May Camille Mori, Jeff Temple,
TheConversation, 16, 2018
Sex
education remains a fiercely debated topic, both in the media and among
politicians.
Research from around the world shows that at least one in eight teens has had a sexually explicit image of themselves forwarded, without consent. (Shutterstock) |
We cannot
politicize the reality of sexual behaviours in youth. The reality is that almost half
of youth in the United States have sex prior to leaving high school.
Teen
sexting is also common. A study of more than 110,000 teens suggests that one in every
seven are sending sexts, and one in four are receiving sexts. This
number is on the rise. For example, the average rate of teens sending sexts
went from five per cent in 2009 to 20 per cent in 2014 — a fourfold
increase.
And, even
more alarmingly, the
prevalence of non-consensual sexting is 12 per cent. This means that
at least one in eight teens are having a sexually explicit image of themselves
forwarded, without consent. In many countries, this represents a criminal
offence.
Many
parents are concerned about digital safety but only 40 per
cent are talking regularly to their children about what is appropriate content
to view and share online. That leaves six out of every 10 youth
potentially vulnerable to victimization. And this is why we need to talk about
it in schools.
The
central benefit of educating about digital health, safety and security in
schools is that it provides teens with a “two-gated” approach. If conversations
about digital health and safety are not happening at the first gate, in the
youth’s home, then youth can receive this information at the second gate, at
school.
The
two-gated approach guarantees that 10 out of 10 youth will receive the
information they need to avoid digital dilemmas and risks.
Talking
about consensual sex
While the
digital age has introduced many benefits, one of its perils is the risk of
teens being bullied or harassed through electronic mediums, a phenomenon known
as cyberbullying.
Flowers and candles are seen as people gather at a memorial honouring teen Amanda Todd in Maple Ridge, B.C. in October 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward |
Cyberbullying is a real challenge for today’s teens that often results in psychological consequences varying from stress to suicidal ideation.
The suicide of
Canadian teenager Amanda Todd is one example. At the age of 13,
Amanda Todd was convinced to expose herself to a man she had met online, who
took a picture of her and proceeded to blackmail her with the image. A sexually
explicit photo of her was posted and widely circulated online. In a video
posted to YouTube prior to her death, Amanda attributed her anxiety and
depression to her online victimization and humiliation.
While
rare, these cases highlight the need to discuss digital health and safety with
youth. This topic is all the more pressing considering the near universal
access that children and teens have to smartphones, computers and the internet.
Throughout
the world, a concept
known as digital citizenship has been introduced into many school
curricula. This concept refers to the practice of being safe, legal and ethical
in one’s online behaviours.
Educating
youth to be good digital citizens and to understand cyberbullying and digital
dilemmas involves talking about consensual and non-consensual sex and sexting.
A
proactive approach
Of
course, we can’t put all the responsibility on schools and educators.
Discussions about digital safety and health should be happening at home as
well.
Parents
should talk to their children early and often about this topic, as well as
about sex, sexuality, peer pressure and healthy relationships.
The
digital world is changing rapidly, and so too is teenage development, so
parents need to revise and revisit these discussions as often as possible.
But, as
mentioned, only 40 per cent of parents are actually having these conversations
on a regular basis.
Clearly,
we need to do a better job of disseminating the many existing resources that
encourage and provide parents with tips on talking with their children about
online safety and citizenship. Perhaps this could be a priority of Melania Trump’s new #BeBest campaign.
But a
benefit of receiving information from multiple sources, including school, is
that it provides more information and more opportunities for discussion.
Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford greets a supporter at a rally at a school in Barrie, Ont., on May 11, 2018. Ford pledged to repeal the province’s sex-ed curriculum. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel |
Some
children may find that they are more comfortable talking about digital health
and safety in a group context, such as in school.
The key
is to talk about digital safety early. Children and youth can then be equipped
with solutions on how to deal with unwanted situations when they arise.
It’s a
proactive approach rather than a reactive one. And it can safeguard our
children.
If
trusted adults include both parents and educators, it means our youth have more
opportunities to get the help they need to rectify, remedy or make a supportive
plan for dealing with a challenging situation.
Call it
digital health
The
decision to keep or discard a sex-education curriculum should not be debated.
We are beyond that.
Instead,
our focus should be on our children’s best interests. And how we as parents and
educators can create the best circumstances for our youth to thrive.
As they
develop, sexuality will continue to be a pressing topic on the minds of teens.
Despite many of our best efforts or wishes, it’s not something that we can
program out of them. Nor can we create a school curriculum that excludes
sexuality from their collective thinking.
In fact,
as research has shown the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only education programs
on rates of both teenage
pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections,
there has been a push towards more comprehensive sex education. With the
growing role of technology in the most intimate aspects of our lives, it is
negligent not to effectively prepare our kids for this reality.
Our
argument is that educating kids about sexuality mediated through the internet
is essential to keeping them safe.
Sexual
education in school is a logical and effective way to encourage these
discussions. Call it by a different name — digital health or digital
citizenship — but it should be included, as the potential risks are too great
to ignore.
Let’s not
let the political narrative blur the lines of who and what we are most
concerned about — the safety and well-being of our children and adolescents.