Sexting and Student Discipline

Cell phones are ubiquitous on campus, and the anytime anywhere nature of teenage communications means that students see no separation between life inside and outside of school, at least when it comes to activities such as texting. Allowing cell phones on campus will have students in possession of cell phones with sexually oriented messages, pictures, videos and applications. Students are sending these messages during class, at lunch, during sports events and school-sponsored activities, and after school. Sexting is commonly defined as the sharing of sexually explicit photos, videos, e-mail, text and chat by cell phone or online. This article discusses the need for administrators to understand sexting activity and to develop appropriate policies and procedures for sexting and student discipline.