Sexting
Sexting is using your mobile phone or tablet to send sexually explicit messages, photos or images of yourself. The word sexting is a combination of ‘sex’ and ‘texting’. Taking sexy pictures and sending them to each other can be fun and exciting, and it can help if you’re longing to be together but can’t be. Sexting always means trusting and respecting the other person.
Tips for fun sexting
Sexting can be fun and exciting, and add something extra to your relationship. Usually it’s fine to do that. But there is another side to it that is not so much fun. Some people don’t like receiving nude photos unexpectedly. And sometimes the photos are shared or shown to other people. For no particular reason, to bully someone or if someone is angry with you. That is never OK, and it’s even against the law.
Sexting tips
How do you keep sexting fun for everyone? Here are some tips:
- Check first whether the other person is OK with you sending nude photos or videos.
- Agree about not sharing photos or videos with other people. It’s private.
- Make sure you know who you’re sexting with.
- Respect yourself and the other person.
- If something goes wrong, you really shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed. So talk about it.
If things go wrong
Sometimes fun sexting can turn into inappropriate sexting. Has a nude photo of you been shared? Or is someone threatening to? You’ve done nothing wrong. But what the other person is doing is definitely wrong. Don't just keep worrying about it – get help. Tell someone you trust, like your parents, or a school or college teacher or counsellor.
Useful websites
Je kunt het ook melden bij de politie of advies vragen – ook anoniem - bij Helpwanted.nl of Slachtofferhulp.nl. Zij kunnen je ook helpen om te zorgen dat je foto’s niet verder worden verspreid of zelfs van het internet worden afgehaald.
You can also report it to the police, or ask for advice - anonymously too – from Helpwanted.nl (Dutch only) or Slachtofferhulp.nl (English as well). They can help you make sure the photos are not shared any further or even removed from the internet completely.
What can you do?
Here are some tips for what you can do if you happen to see a nude photo or video of someone else. Take action to give the person it’s happened to some support!
- Don’t share the photo or video with anyone. Delete the images immediately. That is showing respect. Sexy pictures are private.
- Tell the person who sent it to you that it’s not OK.
- Do you know the person in the photo or video? Then tell them that they have your support. Perhaps you could suggest going with them to a teacher or someone else they trust.