At Issue: Dating Violence/Date Rape
This article provides an overview of Dating Violence. Links to excellent articles featuring two different perspectives on dating violence are included.
Sounding The Alarm On Teen Dating Violence
The article mentions National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week and discusses teen dating violence in the United States. Candice Hopkins, director of the help line loveisrespct.org, thinks that abuse is higher in the African-American teen group because resources are limited. Author Kevin Powell talks about being an abuser. Sources for assistance and seven steps for ending abuse are listed. INSET: 7 Steps For Ending Violence Against Women And Girls.
Tech Triage (Lexile 1160)
The article discusses ways of dealing with textual harassment, sexting and other technological dangers. The early stage of textual harassment is when one's partner or friends try to monitor the person's location or activities through texting. It was found out that many teens are pressured by friends and partners to send texts containing explicit or suggestive messages and photos. With the advanced technology, the author says the youth are exposed to dangers such as online bullying and feuds.
Audio MP3 files available for all articles. You choose whether to read or listen!
A young girl's sexting trauma: "I was naked, out in the world" (Lexile 980)
The article discusses the emerging trend among school children of exchanging stripping videos of themselves through text messages. Children's sexting emerged in the late '00s, when unlimited data plans armed a generation of teenagers and tweens with cell-phone cameras. One study found that 20 percent of teenagers are active sexting.
Teens, Nude Photos and the Law (Lexile 1300)
In this article the author discusses aspects of sexting, which is the name for the act of sending, receiving, or forwarding naked photographs by cell phone. She is critical of the response by the criminal justice system to the turn sexting into a child pornography crime. Also investigated is the idea that sexting hurts teenage girls more than it does boys.
The Dangers of 'Sexting' (Lexile 1180)
The article focuses on so-called "sexting," in which teenagers transmit sexually suggestive photographs to each other via text messages on their cellular telephones. Prosecutors in a number of communities have filed child pornography charges against teenagers who have done so, even those who merely received unsolicited messages. Legal experts term this a distortion of the law.
The Vexing Issue of 'Sexting' (Lexile 1430)
The article focuses on several bills introduced by U.S. state governments in 2009 to prevent teenagers from engaging in a practice called sexting in which they transmit nude photographs to one another using cellular telephones. It states the passage of a bill in Utah that imposes misdemeanor charges for children age 17 and below who will be involved in pornographic material distribution. Also noted is the prosecution to be faced by so-called sexual predators, who apply such practice to contact children, under new laws in Nebraska and Colorado.
New Law Aimed to Prevent Sexting Among Teens
"[Texas] Gov. Rick Perry recently signed a new state law that will give prosecutors the discretion to prosecute some child pornography and trafficking cases as misdemeanors rather than felonies. The new law will only apply to offenders 18 years and younger who are caught sexting--or using a cell phone to send sexually explicit text messages or images....Senate Bill 407, which will go into effect Sept. 1 [2011], is intended to prevent minors from sending, creating or redistributing sexually explicit text messages of themselves and fellow teenagers by creating a mechanism for holding them accountable without subjecting them to serious criminal penalties with lifelong consequences" (McClatchy - Tribune Business News) .
Nude Photos Stored on Many School Children's Cell Phones
"It's no secret that boys have been hiding beneath the bed, in the closet or behind the garage to peek at pictures in girlie magazines. But now [2008], technology has the bare breasts of the girl across town to be viewed with the push of a button....The ease of taking and sharing photos with cell phones, as well as the perceived freedom of expression found in social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, mean that more teens are experimenting with sexually provocative images of themselves." (Akron Beacon Journal) This article describes how teens and younger children may use cell phones and social networking sites inappropriately.
Protecting Children and Teens from Cyber-Harm
The article emphasizes the need to protect children and adolescents from harm brought by electronic media. A survey conducted in the U.S. found that between 9% to 34% of American youth are victims of online harassment while 4% to 21% are perpetrators of such crime. Also, the article mentions several technologies where young people can communicate and interact with others which increases the chance of online harassment or online sexual solicitation including social networking sites and instant messaging.
Digitally Speaking (Lexile 1590)
The article discusses the use of scare tactics when teaching elementary school students about the serious nature and potential danger of digital footprints. The author describes a conversation he had with 7th-grade students who recalled the definition of digital footprints that was taught to them in elementary school. He also discusses the importance of Internet use by children and teenagers in helping them develop 21st-century skills and to improve their visibility among important Internet users such as college admissions officers and potential employers. Topics include Internet safety programs, students' online behavior, and online portfolios.
The article offers tips for maintaining a healthy relationship which includes diagreeing without hurting each other, trusting each other and helping to maintain a balance in each other's life.
