Sexual and Sexualized Behavior in Children : Sexual Behaviors That Can Lead to Legal Problems
Creating and sharing sexual images
For many teens, particularly those who spent part of their adolescence in COVID isolation, having a consensual sexual relationship with a partner online has become the norm. Almost 20 percent of youth aged 13–17 report sharing self-generated sexually explicit material, and almost double that number believe it is normal to do so (Thorn 2020). Young relationships often end, sometimes with hard feelings, but the images last. Parents and children should be aware that anyone who distributes sexual images of a minor can be charged with creating and distributing child pornography, now referred to as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
- Ensure children understand that genital/sexual arousal is autonomic. Sextortionists will send victims explicit messages or images to elicit arousal. Kids must learn that physical arousal is just their body being normal and does not mean the person on the other end is special in any way.
- Most importantly, sextortionists get away with torturous scams because they impress on their victims how much shame they’ll feel when pictures are shared. Let’s teach our kids to show compassion for victims and spread that message to their friends. This compassion will start with the medical professional who can discuss these threats with kids and parents, urging everyone to be aware of the threats and modeling support and compassion for victims.
If a child’s images are distributed online, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) can help even if the victim is no longer a minor. Their service Take It Down helps remove nude, partially nude or sexually explicit photos and videos of underage people. https://takeitdown.ncmec.org.
Resources for Parents
- The Internet Watch Foundation. Report online child sexual abuse images & videos anonymously. This organization works globally. https://www.iwf.org.uk.
- Cyberbullying Research Center. Sexting: Advice for Teens. https://cyberbullying.org/sexting-advice-teens.
Sexual interaction with a younger partner
Each state defines the age of consent, or the age at which a person can legally consent to a sexual act. In New York, the age of consent is 17. Having sex with anyone younger than 17 can potentially lead to criminal charges; even if a partner consents, the consent of a person under age 17 is not considered legally valid. In some states, these charges could lead to registration as a sex offender with lifelong consequences.
