Real Life Stories

Permanent Pictures

A 14-year-old girl took and emailed a naked picture of herself to a boy she really liked at her school. The boy subsequently forwarded the image to numerous classmates and friends in the school.

What does this mean?

Adolescents can be manipulated to take and send nude/partially-clothed pictures or inappropriate videos of themselves. Adolescents may not realize that photos or videos can be reproduced, altered, posted online or sent to others without their permission. Once material is sent online, control over what happens with the material is lost, and subsequent exposure can be devastating.

What can I do?

  • Adolescents can appear very mature and ready to take on the world. However, teen brains are still developing and they do not have the capacity to properly deal with all situations. Even though adolescents may appear as though they can "handle" certain situations, they actually require and unconsciously seek adult guidance and supervision.

  • Explain to students that they should never comply with threats. If someone threatens them online, they need to tell a safe adult.

  • Explain to students how experimenting in a public place like the Internet can have irreversible, embarrassing consequences.

  • Encourage open communication and be aware of students' sensitivity to social judgment. They may be hesitant to share personal experiences.

  • Discuss with students online and offline high-risk behaviour with students and create "what if" scenarios together to help them recognize dangerous situations and practice responses.

  • Discuss dignity and self-respect with students and how it can be preserved or destroyed by messages/photos/videos sent online.

  • Discuss with students the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.

  • Explain to students that they should never comply with threats. If someone threatens them online, they need to tell a safe adult.

  • Teach students that it is illegal for people to manufacture, possess or distribute naked or sexually explicit pictures of children under 18 years of age.

  • Check out our Popular Activities section for more information on technologies being used by adolescents and how to make them safer. Also take a look at our Healthy Relationships section, and our Manipulative Relationships section to learn more about subtle forms of manipulation and how you can talk to students about these.