Australian Communications and Media Authority said lesson plans and brochures about "sexting" were being snapped up by thousands of schools across the country worried about the trend.
"Over the last month more than 63,000 sexting brochures have been distributed, and over three hundred copies of ACMA's Cybersmart sexting lesson plans have been downloaded," said ACMA's Senior Education Trainer Greg Gebhart.
"The popularity of these educational resources suggests that sexting is a top of mind issue for schools and teachers and is perceived as a growing risk for teenagers."
Federal Government research last month showed one in five Australian girls aged 18 has sent nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves over the internet.
The Government's interim report on cyber safety - High Wire Act: Cyber-Safety and the Young - surveyed more than 33,000 young Australians about their online habits.
"Sharing sexually suggestive images or text messages may be seen as innocent flirting or amusement, but sexting can have serious personal, social and legal consequence," Mr Gebhart said.
It comes after Education Minister Cameron Dick revealed last week he had been approached by Queensland parents concerned about sexting.
Nude and sexual images, videos and text messages of people under the age of 18 are considered child pornography and it may be a criminal offence."
The ACMA has focused on teaching 16 and 17-year-olds about sexting dangers.
Senior education trainer Greg Gebhart said many students were still unaware of potential problems, while teachers were grappling with how to combat the problem.
Most schools would would have to deal with one or two cases of sexting," he said. "It's predominantly photos taken on phones
No comments:
Post a Comment