Kids as young as 10 caught sending nude photos in sexting scandal
Children as young as 10 are sending nude or semi-nude photos of themselves to other kids, with experts blaming easily-accessible porn sites and social media for the alarming new trend.
Experts have revealed students in grade five and six are regularly taking part in the "sexting" trend and have urged parents to wake up to what their children are really doing on their phones, NewsCorp reports.
National Centre Against Bullying spokesperson Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said children in the 10 to 13 age group do not have the social and emotional maturity to manage the digital footprint, and warns the trend is triggering the early sexualisation of children.
He is urging parents to monitor their children's social media sites and to not allow those under 13 to join but said his plea is "falling on deaf ears".
"I am pleading for every parent to report every child to Facebook or Instagram or Snapchat, if they find out they have these accounts underage," Dr Carr-Gregg told NewsCorp.
According to shocking Kids Helpline figures, 95 children sought help for sexting issues between July and December 2015, with 80 per cent of those cases female.
The figures showed the average age of those seeking help was 13 with nearly 40 per cent of calls discussing "significant coercion" to share images.
In one shocking example, a 15-year-old reportedly threatened to put photos of a 13-year-old girl’s breasts on Facebook unless she had sex with him.
In another case, a Year Six student harassed another Year Six student to send him naked photos, which he then forwarded on to 27 people.
School principals are now reportedly relying on sex assault groups to help deal with the "sexting" epidemic as a way to stop the alarming new trend.
