Well visit - http://www.texted.ca/app/en/dyk
A national program hopes to educate teens about the hazards of sexting on cell phones.
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection has launched a website called textED.ca as part of a pilot project where 100 Canadian schools will use the site to teach students about safe and responsible texting and when to seek intervention from an adult. Sexting involves sending out sexually suggestive or nude pictures from a cell phone via text messages.
In Florida, 13-year-old Hope Witsell sent a topless photo of herself to her boyfriend who then showed it to other people at the school. Witsell eventually killed herself.
Junior high guidance counsellor Carolynne Pitura says many young people don't grasp the seriousness of some of the things they put on their cell phones. Pitura hopes to one day see education about cell phones and responsible texting in all schools.
The issue of punishment for sexting is another area being analyzed by experts. In the U.S., a teenage boy was put on a sex offender registry after sending a nude picture of his 16-year-old girlfriend to her friends.
Children's rights advocates say sexting is different than the harm done by pedophiles and should be treated differently by the courts in Canada.
"Are we going to start charging children who have really made a nano-second error without even thinking...I don't think so," says Roz Prober, a children's advocate with Beyond Borders.
Currently, the courts in Canada take the view that if two teenagers of the age of consent of 16 or older agree to take sexual pictures and keep them among themselves, that is not distributing pornography, say officials.
But if the material is sent to a third party, the court could take the position that sending the material is an invasion of privacy.
"In terms of privacy legislation, if you have something in your possession that could really damage them and you're going to forward it on to others without their consent, you might be finding yourself in a court," says privacy lawyer Brian Bowman.
The school program aimed at educating students about cell phones, texting and sexting will be introduced in February.
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