Sending naked or partially naked images of oneself by text (sexting), is a relatively uncommon, but growing, activity among young people. It’s important that teens are fully aware of the potential consequences of sexts before they decide to send one, or worse, feel pressured into doing so. Discuss the realities of sharing images with your teen and agree on some sensible promises, using our suggestions as starting points. There is space to add your own too.

This practical exercise allows young people, alongside a parent or teacher, to weigh up some of the factors that might come into a decision to ‘sext’. We have provided an example of how this exercise might play out and also a blank template which teens can fill in during conversation about sexting. Remember, without sensible and realistic chats, there is no barrier between teens and these impulsive decisions, which they may later regret. Hopefully, these conversations will help teens to realistically evaluate the risks, and see that, whilst there might be some upsides to sexting, the downsides can be serious.