“Sexting is slang for the art of sending explicit contents between cellular phones. It can contain text images or video that is intended to be sexual in nature.” —Lake in the Hills Police Sgt. Terri Vollmer

Let’s be honest, teens aren’t perfect—the existence of teen drinking, smoking and drug use proves that. But with today’s advances in technology, and teens’ seemingly endless love to stay in contact through text messages, Facebook status updates and tweets, a new phenomenon is a growing social problem: sexting.

Teens are impulsive and make questionable decisions, but now that students are almost always digitally plugged in, technology has created a paper trail. While some may think capturing nude photos or videos of themselves and sending them from friend to friend is no big deal, the repercussions could be life changing.

A 2009 AP-MTV Digital Abuse Survey showed that 24 percent of teens 14 to 17 years old reported some involvement in sexting, either sending or receiving.

In late January, the Chicago Tribune reported that two middle school students in Valparaiso, Ind., were caught sending nude photos of themselves to each other on their cell phones. The two students, a 13-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy, have since been charged with child exploitation and possession of child pornography.

Some residents may find it impossible to believe that sexting is happening in McHenry County, but the Lake in the Hills Police Department is taking it seriously, and parents, school officials and teens should as well.

Lake in the Hills Police Sgt. Terri Vollmer said, “Lake in the Hills has seen enough of this sexting to warrant educating students on this topic.”

Currently, the only legal way to punish teens engaged in sexting is to charge them as child pornographers, which requires them to register as sex offenders.

Schools also enforce their own policies as they relate to the topic. Some parents are pushing for curriculum and programs designed to educate students.

Recently, Illinois lawmakers have proposed two bills that would allow authorities to intervene without filing criminal charges against minors.

The House and Senate bill, which are both on a second reading in the original chamber in Springfield, would allow for minors who forward sext messages to be treated like chronic truants or runaways which, if prosecuted, would require them to undergo counseling or education programs teaching them about the long-term consequences of such actions.

I agree that some legislation is needed, but if a child makes an adolescent mistake, they should not be punished for the rest of their lives by having to register as a sex offender.

However, I believe there are exceptions, such as malicious intent to harm someone by forwarding these photos on.

Nancy Willard, director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, said that many sexting problems arise after a break up.

Boy meets girl. Boy dates girl. Boy asks girl for a promiscuous photo. Girl asks guy for a promiscuous photo. Photos are exchanged, and later the two break up. To get back at that other person, one of the parties forwards those sexual images to all of his or her friends, humiliating the ex.

Finally, there is peer pressure. In the AP-MTV poll, 61 percent of those who sent an image said they had been pressured by someone else to do so.

The debate over punishment and who’s to blame can go on and on, but it all starts with education.

Vollmer said, “We educate teens by explaining the legal issues of being in possession of child pornography, also reminding students that once a picture is sent, it can’t be taken back and can be forwarded over and over and over again.”

Our school systems need to step up, and parents need to start educating their teens about sexting. Don’t let your kids become the latest victim of this growing problem.

—Lawerence Synett is the TribLocal community manager for Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Huntley, Crystal Lake, McHenry and Woodstock. If you would like to comment on this column, or have stories, photos or events you would like to share at triblocal.com, register online for free, e-mail Synett at lsynett@tribune.com or call 708-498-0458.