Sexting New Face of Teen Technology

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2009

Sexting New Face of Teen Technology

 
Arlington, VA – It’s back to school again and the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) says a troubling teen texting trend is on the rise.  It is called sexting—the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones and other mobile devices.

NCPC, the organization best known for McGruff the Crime Dog, says parents need to pay attention to the “electronic fingerprints” their kids are making.  NCPC has developed new reproducible brochures for both parents and teens that provide informative tips on what to do about it and how to prevent sexting.

Roughly, 20 percent of teens admit to sexting, according to a nationwide survey by the National Campaign to Support Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.  NCPC’s director of Children and Youth, Joselle Shea, says that “online relationships should be based on respect and not just sharing sexual images of each other.”

NCPC believes it is important to teach young people to protect themselves proactively when they are online or using mobile communication devices.  The new reproducible brochures on sexting can be found at the NCPC’s website.

For more information about sexting, or to schedule an interview, please contact Michelle Boykins at 202-261-4184 or Amy Vimislicky at 202-261-4156.  For information on the National Crime Prevention Council, please visit www.ncpc.org.

###

About the National Crime Prevention Council

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is a private, nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to be the nation’s leader in helping people keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe from crime. NCPC manages public service advertising under the National Citizens’ Crime Prevention Campaign—symbolized by McGruff the Crime Dog® and his “Take A Bite Out Of Crime®” slogan—and acts as secretariat for the Crime Prevention Coalition of America, more than 400 national, federal, state, and local organizations representing thousands of constituents who are committed to preventing crime. NCPC is funded through a variety of government agencies, corporate and private foundations, and donations from private individuals.
For more information on crime prevention issues, visit www.ncpc.org.