When Your Child Is Sexted for 03/31/2017

Dear Family Coach: A boy in my 14-year-old daughter's class sexted her a picture of his privates. He asked her a few times whether she wanted to see the picture, and she declined. But he wore her down, and eventually, she said it was OK to send the picture. How should we handle this? — Freaked Out Parents

Dear Freaked: Unfortunately, young adults are given this very powerful tool to communicate with their peers at the exact moment they are least able to control their impulses. Hormonal teens notoriously struggle to think through their actions and view potential consequences as real and present danger. To make matters worse, they tend to view adults as nincompoops who don't know anything. So many teens lack the knowledge of how to act appropriately online.

Updated: Fri Mar 31, 2017