‘Sexting’ workshops to be rolled out in Galway schools

Condemning ‘sexting’ as bad behaviour will do nothing to thwart its popularity among young people – and may even harm them, according to a researcher rolling out workshops across Galway schools.

Sexting has become a real phenomenon among school children.

A study of more than 3,000 students in 30 schools earlier this year found that that 45% of sixth-year students have sent a suggestive message while 34% have sent a sext – defined as the sharing of sexual text, video, and photographic content or nudes using phones, apps and social networks.

The likelihood of sending or receiving nude pictures increases with every year of secondary school. The same study carried out by Zeeko found that 4% of first-year students have sent a sext to a non-partner whereas 34% of sixth-year students had reported doing the same.

Haley Mulligan, an education facilitator with the West Ireland Sex Education Resource (WISER) team in AIDS West, insists that sexting and nudes “is in many ways the epicentre of the sexual online digital world of young people”.

For many youths it is the modern-day flirting.

“When you think Kim Kardashian is a hero to many young people and she originally became famous for a sex tape. The whole industry of sex is internet based.

“The idea that the modern teen will explore their sexuality through the digital realm seems completely and utterly logical, although this very idea may fill parents full of dread and fear,” she states.

Many teens send the images in an act of bravado. It gives others a false sense of equality – ‘I’ll show you mine if you show me yours’. They also mistakenly believe promises that the content will never be shared. For others it’s down to poor self-esteem.

Whatever the reasons, Haley says that labelling the practice of sexting and nudes as a ‘deviant’ act that must be stopped will have limited effect on young people, who know the risks yet continue to express themselves through images and words.

“In many ways it is similar to young people talking to strangers online. Children know the risks but still continue to communicate with strangers online – 32% of 1st Year students talked to a stranger online compared to 70% of 6th Years; 8% of 1st Years met strangers physically compared to 38% of 6th Years.

“Clearly young people know the risks, but they are driven by strong physical, psychological and social desires towards sexual expression via nudes and sexting.”

During WISER workshops on sexting and nudes delivered in city and county schools in the past year, Hayley has always been struck by how quickly so many of the students jump to blame the sender of the nude pics – rather than the person who distributed it publicly and those who continued to share it.

“If we continue to assume that ‘stupid’ girls send nudes then not only are we perpetuating the idea that there is something inherently wrong and deviant about women’s sexuality and sexual expression, we are also failing our boys by ignoring the potential harms that can arise from young boys sharing images online,” states Hayley.

Vilifying the sender of sexual images may induce feelings of fear, embarrassment, isolation or shame and demonising the practice may adversely impact how the young person feels about their sexuality or sexual expression.

Instead the emphasis should be on empathy, says the PhD candidate in the NUIG School of Law.

“It’s about flipping it and showing you have compassion with the young person who has made a mistake,” urges Hayley.

“Unless they feel that empathy they won’t come forward in the event of an image being shared on social media. And they really must go to a parent, trusted adult or the Gardaí if that happens and not feel they are alone.”

For girls who have their privacy violated it is the public shaming that can be the most devastating.

“It’s the name calling that hurts. it’s the isolation that hurts. it’s the branding of her a particular ‘type’ of girl that hurts.”

Break ups can lead to private images being shared. In the workshops, facilitators urge young people to delete all provocative images in the event of a relationship split “because it’s the right thing to do”.

■ For details of workshops log onto bewiser.ie.