Sexting: Youth Leaders Deal With New Challenge

Religion Today | Published: Dec 30, 2011

Sexting: Youth Leaders Deal With New Challenge

January 2, 2012

Sexting -- sending sexually suggestive messages or photos via text messaging on phones -- has become a trend among teens, and church kids are not immune, Charisma News reports. While different surveys reveal different numbers as to what percent of teens have sent or received such messages, "it's happening with church kids just like unchurched kids," says Mandy Crow, editor of EC, a student devotional magazine published by LifeWay. "We talk with teens and student leaders often. We hear this everywhere. ... They seem to think it's flirty or funny. They just don't see the long-term consequences." Church leaders agree that sexting often comes out of peer pressure or boyfriend/girlfriend insistence, and Crow says it's important for youth leaders and parents to be proactive in dealing with it: "Student leaders need to help parents know what to do and how to talk to their teenagers about sexting. Parents need to be empowered to speak out. The issue isn't going away."

Sexting: Youth Leaders Deal With New Challenge