Sexting Panic: Rethinking Criminalization, Privacy, and Consent by Amy Adele Hasinoff takes on common wisdom and shows how it is harmful to many girls as is lets privacy violators off the hook. It sees sexing as a natural part of the process of developing a normal and healthy sex life and promotes the idea of explicit consent when if comes to distributing private media images. This book belongs in every school and in the hands of every teen parent and policy maker.

Introduction

• This is a very well researched a cited scholarly book. Amy looks at how sexting is commonly viewed as child porn and a factor in cyberbullying rather than a normal part of sexual foreplay. She believes that teaching abstinence when it comes to physical sex is as ineffective as teaching abstinence when it comes to sexting. Rather than acknowledge girls’ sexual agency, many see them as weak minded youth who are suffering from raging hormones and blindly following social trends. In fact, sexing is a modern form of foreplay and only becomes problematic when the receiver violates the sender’s privacy. Not only does the media often blame the victim, so do the courts and society at large. It’s about time somebody started this conversation. As you read this book prepare to change your thinking on the subject.

1. The Criminalization Consensus and the Right to Sext

• The main argument here is that granting young people the right to consensually see, create, and distribute sexual media may be the most effective way to protect them from harm. It is currently criminal with variations in all states. Here Amy discusses a number of specific cases and how laws are designed to punish the person sending sexts. The question arrises as to whether sexting is free speech or not. Also, is it an expression of normal adolescent sexual expression? In some states, sexting has been reduced from felony status to that of a misdemeanor. This makes no sense as depending on your state or country, a variety of consensual sexual behaviors are legal for minors depending on their respective ages. Ironically, it is generally illegal for minors to view many sex acts that they can legally engage in such as Internet porn. Amy also believes that criminalization of sexting will have a disproportionate impact on gays, minorities, poor kids, and girls.

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