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Opinions arts domestic horace international mann domestic the social phenomenon of sextingby Billie Kafner When your private life becomes public, who can you blame Could something that seemed so fun and flirty really turn dangerous Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones. The term “sexting” became popular around 2005 when teenagers aged 13-19 started sending provocative messages through cell phones. Sexing started when teenagers sent text messages on answers to test questions via cell phones, then it expanded to taking nude photographs, or sending suggestive messages. At first it seemed harmless, especially if one trusted the person on the receiving end, but a simple text message or picture can spread like wildfire. The definition of sexting is very vague and many don’t understand that even sending a suggestive text message is considered sexting. Sexting begins due to many factors, one cause may be that a girl has broken up with her boyfriend and in desperation to get him back she sends a provocative picture. Another case may be that a guy wants to impress a girl and will text her a suggestive message, or maybe send her a picture. There are different cases for many people and that is why sexting is so vague in its definition. Across the United States, 20% of teens have admitted to engaging in sexting. This percentage has been increasing throughout the years due to higher accessibility to phones and picture messaging. Although it may seem that 20% is a small number, sexting comes in all forms. A survey released by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy shows that about jean mariano 49% of teens said they had received sexts and 39% said they had posted suggestive message to each others. “The consequences of sexting can involve widespread public embarrassment and humiliation that’s tough to live down,” says Susan Lypkins, PhD. In one tragic case, Jessica Logan, a senior at Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, was so distraught after her ex-boyfriend forwarded a nude picture she sent to him that she hung herself. Another girl, Hope Wistell, also committed suicide in the aftermath of a sext she had sent. She had forwarded a nude image to a boy she liked, this photo found its way to other students, and soon it was circulating the whole middle and high school. Kids called her names and shouted things at her, causing her suicide about two weeks later. Hope’s death was the second in the nation as a result of sexting. Although this is an extreme case, sexting can cause many smaller problems; and affects both ends of the sext. If the teen receiving the sext passes it on, he or she could get caught and get expelled from school, as could the person who initiated the sexting. In another case, the person who began the sexting could be humiliated and embarrassed as they walked down the halls and are called names because that picture or message had spread throughout the school. Either way, one simple message causes a whirlwind of problems. In the end, sexting could seem like a small message in a way to resolve a conflict or impress another person. Sexting is well known to many schools across the nation, but whether or not they are taking action is the real question. Educators in some states have started certain programs to address the issue. Other educators have hosted workshops for parents to discuss the issue. Another issue that has been raised is, when does sexting become an issue of child pornography One situation occurred where an 18 year old man sent a nude picture of his 16 year old girlfriend to his friends and family after they had a fight. He was prosecuted under child-porn laws and now has to register as a sex offender. He wasn’t a producer of porn but his sending this one simple message got him into much more trouble than he intended. Sexting will never be prevented because in this age because technology is a bridge between people, but if you do consider sexting, think twice because you never know the true consequences. 8
horace international domestic mann arts strangulation by Alex Perry Simply put, under normal circumstances, causing another person physical harm is not only unethical, but also punishable by law. Specific criteria exist to determine whether a person’s conduct is legal. For example, the law defines assault as an intentional threat to cause bodily injury to another by force under circumstances that cause the other person to have well-founded fear of imminent peril. An important distinction that must be made when referring to assault is the existence of contact. A charge of assault can be made even if the threat of harm is not completed. To put this jean mariano definition in perspective, a person that pulls out a fake gun that looks real may be liable for assault, even though there was never any intention of a shot being fired. The threat is what constitutes assault, not the actual fulfillment of the threat. The legal definition of battery is the intentional touching of a person against that person’s will; whether injury occurs as a result is not pertinent. An extreme example of battery can be a situation in which somebody spits on another person. Even though this is in no way life threatening, a charge of a battery has still been committed. While keeping these definitions of illegal actions in mind, it should be very surprising to anybody that it was not until recently that the intentional strangling of a person was determined to be illegal in the state of New York. On June 7 th , 2010, New York State passed the anti-strangulation bill, sponsored by State Senator Eric Schneiderman and Assembly members Joseph Lenton and Helene Weinstein. Strangulation is an action that can be considered somewhat common in domestic violence and sex crime cases. The original reasoning for the lack of punishment after strangulation is that this act does not always leave visible signs of injury. In reality, the lack of physical signs should be disregarded when considering whether or not strangulation is an illegal act. Strangling can be more dangerous than punching, and death by strangulation can occur in only a few minutes. The anti-strangulation bill urged the state of New York to make this “terrifying and life-threatening” abuse illicit and put the perpetrator under the jurisdiction of the law. The way the law handles (or does not handle) strangling has had a negative effect on adolescents. It has become increasingly aware to doctors that teenagers are playing a very dangerous game that involves choking themselves almost to the point of unconsciousness in an attempt to get high. A recent article published in the New York Times focused on a 16 year old that had killed himself using a homemade noose trying to play this game. Although obviously not the only way to play, there have been instances of participants choking each other as a method to play this absurd game. Videos showing how to play this game have shown up on Myspace; some are considered “instructional” videos, while others are just examples of kids playing this game. The teenagers playing this game are obviously not taking the risks associated with it seriously enough, although it seems as though the law is not either. If the law does not determine the strangling of a person a crime, why should these people view their game as more dangerous than engaging in illicit drug use 9
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Page 3 and 4: table of contents table ofcontents
Page 5 and 6: horace mann The story I would like
Page 7: horace mann Poll: Leadership, Expec
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Page 13 and 14: horace international mann arts Yeme
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Page 17 and 18: An Interview With Wendy Cromwell In
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