Devastation may last long

It is a growing problem, and law enforcers and school administrators across the country are still looking for ways to deal with it: teens taking nude photos of themselves and sending these to cell phones or publishing them on the Internet.

Teens seem to perceive — quite wrongly — that there is no risk to them when they do this. The sexual images, once taken and sent digitally, give the receivers the ability to do anything they please with it. Pictures that get published on the Internet can remain on it forever, and thus haunt the individual for a very long time.

It is also against the law.

Taking nude pictures of oneself and distributing it to others through cell phones or the Internet can attract charges of pornography, possession of criminal tools, illegal use of a minor in pornographic material, and other crimes.

* Last week, a 15-year-old high school girl in Ohio was charged with a felony for allegedly taking nude pictures of herself and using her cell phone to transmit the images to her classmates. If convicted, her sentence could range from probation to detention in a juvenile center for several years. At the discretion of the judge, she may be required to register as a sex offender.

* In May, a 17-year-old boy in Wisconsin was charged with child pornography for allegedly uploading his ex-girlfriend’s naked pictures on the Internet. The girl had originally sent the pictures to him and he posted it on the Web to get even after she broke up with him.

These teenagers are just two of the growing number of teenagers growing up in a culture where pornography has entered the mainstream and where sexual imagery — exemplified by infamous photos of the famous, like Britney Spears exposing her crotch — have become standard fare. They seem to think there is nothing wrong with it. On the contrary, they think they can be popular and become a star.

It is more likely they will gain a fleeting moment of notoriety.  But for many teens, the most important thing is to get a few minutes of fame and they will go to any lengths just so they get it.

The mainstreaming of pornography is illustrated by the huge popularity of thong underwear, according to authors and psychologists. Thong underwear was once limited to the world of strippers and porn flicks, but now it is sold in major apparel stores all over the country.

Teenagers are carried along by a larger phenomenon happening to America. They see the sexually oriented ads and sexual images on the Web, but unfortunately they are not aware of the legal consequences of participating in it.

Safety Tip:

* Talk with your teenager. The fame gained from circulating their sexual images is so short-lived; the devastation to their lives is likely to last longer.