Shortland Street character Chris Warner was outraged on Friday when he discovered his teen son had been sharing nudes with his girlfriend, Lily.
And while the story line has attracted plenty of attention from international media (mainly poking fun at the cliffhanger line “please tell me that is not your penis?”) there’s an important message behind this seemingly humorous tale.
Because if intimate images get into the wrong hands, the consequences can be devastating. Especially for vulnerable young people.
Anyone who’s watched Netflix’s recent documentary Audre and Daisy can testify to that fact.
In the 2016 documentary, several teenage girls were sexually assaulted and then had their images shared online. The results were devastating. One subject of the documentary, Audrie Pott, committed suicide just over a week later.
But it’s not just people taking images without consent that’s the issue. Many teens, just like Shorty’s Harry Warner, will choose to send sexual images to someone they think they can trust, and have it come back to bite them.
So the question is: how can parents and caregivers help teenagers stay safe online?
Martin Cocker, CEO of Netsafe New Zealand, says sexting is a big issue that parents need to be talking to their children about.
“Young people often think that sexting is a lot more normal than it actually is. Being realistic, teenagers these days are probably going to encounter it in some way or another, and as parents we can’t really stop that.
“What is important is that a conversation has been had so that they can have a think in advance about the risks involved.
“It’s important we teach our children not only about the consequences of sharing their images but also their responsibilities to others. Thanks to the Harmful Digital Communications Act, sharing media of someone else without their consent could actually mean they’re breaking the law – so they need to know about that too.”
Likewise, Psychologist Rachel Busman says it’s important to have an open dialogue with kids when it comes to sex and sexting.
Her advice is to approach the conversation in a calm and collected way, especially if you’ve already seen some online acts you’re less than pleased with, like Shorty’s Chris Warner did.
“Express your reasons for being concerned and reiterate your feelings about explicit behavior on or offline. This may also open up a dialogue about self-respect, setting boundaries, and privacy,” she wrote on Huffington Post.
Equally though, says Busman, you shouldn’t “slap on a bunch of restrictions,” as this will prevent your child from having a real conversation about it with you.
“Social media may not seem important to you, but it can seem life or death to teenagers,” she adds.
“Hard as it may be, you want your tone to be open and concerned — not angry and blaming, or shocked and horrified.”
Communication is key, and starting the conversation early is important to safeguarding your kid well into the future.
For more information on keeping your kids safe online, head to Netsafe.
