In case you haven’t seen the ‘That ‘70s Show’ episode when Donna takes nude pictures to send to Eric, here’s a recap: Kitty finds the pictures in an envelope, Red finds them in a drawer, Hyde finds them in a newspaper and shows them to all of his friends, and so on. Keep in mind: these were Polaroids.

If Donna’s Polaroids were passed around so quickly, imagine how fast pictures go viral in the technology age. According to pcsndreams.com, an internet predator protection site, twenty percent of teenagers have sent or posted nude or semi-nude photos or videos, and thirty-nine percent of all teenagers send or post sexually suggesting messages. ‘Sexting’ is becoming a phenomenon and, in many instances, the consequences are severe.
Whether they are emotional or legal, there are always consequences in sexting cases that go public. As with any controversy, there are often questions that arise: Is this a crime? Who is really at fault here?

The simple fact of the matter is, if you send or post sexual messages you are putting yourself at risk of embarrassment, emotional strain and legal consequences.  When it really comes down to it, the sender of the messages is at fault.

Unfortunately, when it comes to sending and receiving crude messages and photos, the line is extremely blurred about who should get in trouble and what the consequences should be. The embarrassing aftermath of sexting situations causes all parties involved to point fingers and make excuses in order to escape blame.

Even if you truly believe that your messages will be safe and part of your private relationship, the sad truth is that they probably won’t be. The only way to avoid both private and public punishment is to avoid sending the pictures or messages in the first place, and remember: you’re not a prude if you don’t want to send  pictures in the nude.