On Wednesday, Nov. 1, Corporal Jerry Patrick, LCSC School Resource Officer, and Sarah Castaneda, Director of Secondary Education, held a parent information session on sexting at Kahler Middle School.
“We first offered this last spring, and I think our intention is to try to offer it every fall and spring, as well as the social media presentations,” said Castaneda.
The presentation covered basic apps that many teenagers use on a daily basis, such as Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook. Parents were given a better understanding of how these apps are being used and the potential dangers they possess.
“Parents understand what’s it like to go through middle school and high school and I think that the thing that will help prevent issues is if there is good communication through the parent and child,” said Castaneda.
If parents stayed informed and involved in what their children are doing on their cell phones, issues such as sexting or other inappropriate actions can be avoided.
“The biggest take away would be talking to your kids about current events and then not necessarily standing over their shoulder while they’re using a device but at least ask questions about it and learn about how all these apps work and how their phone works,” said Corporal Patrick.
Many students do not understand that their actions can have major consequences. The Indiana State Law shows that exploitation of children under the age of 18 is a felony. This is a subject matter that should not be taken lightly.
