Helping your child with difficult sexting situationsIf you and your child have open and honest conversations about sexting, your child is more likely to feel they can talk to you if they: Show
You can help your child feel comfortable about talking to you if you tell your child you won’t be angry if they’re in a difficult situation because of sending a nude. Your child gets a sext: what to doIf your child gets an unwanted sexually explicit image or message, talk through how to respond:
If you think it’s a criminal matter, especially if an adult is contacting your child, you can report it to the eSafety commissioner or police. For example, it’s a crime if someone sends your child an unwanted naked picture. If this is the case, ask your child not to delete the messages because the police will need to see them. Your child sends a sext: what to doIf your child has sent a sexually explicit image or message that they regret, it’s important to support your child and reassure them that together you’ll deal with it:
If you think it’s a criminal matter, you can report it to the eSafety Commissioner or police. For example, it’s a crime if an adult has asked your child to send a sexually explicit image. Your child’s sext gets shared: what to doIt’s important to stay calm if a sexual image of your child has been shared. Images that are shared among peers are rarely uploaded to public websites or apps. Your child needs your support and reassurance that together you’ll deal with it:
If you think it’s a criminal matter, you can report it to the eSafety Commissioner or police. For example, it’s a crime if someone shares – or threatens to share – a nude or sexual picture without permission. If this is the case, ask your child not to delete the messages because the police will need to see them. If a sexual or nude image of your child has been shared, your child might feel guilty, ashamed, humiliated and distressed. For some young people, this situation can lead to depression or even suicidal thoughts. It’s likely to be very upsetting for you too. You and your child can get support by contacting eheadspace on 1800 650 890, Kids Helpline for teens on 1800 551 800, or Lifeline on 131 114. Your child shares someone else’s sext: what to doIf your child has shared a sexually explicit image of someone else, it’s important to support your child and reassure them that together you’ll deal with it:
It’s also a good idea to encourage your child to ask themselves these questions:
It’s important for your child to know that sharing sexual images without a person’s consent is a type of sexual harassment or image-based abuse and your child can get into legal trouble. If you think it’s a criminal matter, you can report it to the eSafety Commissioner or police. For example, it’s a crime if your child was forced into sharing one or more images, or if there’s an adult involved. |