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Abstract: 

Recent years have witnessed expanded legislative attention to teens’ self-production and distribution of sexually explicit photos and video via cellphone, online social media, and other communication technology—a diverse constellation of behaviors commonly referred to as “sexting.” This article presents the characteristics of the laws that have been passed to date, with specific emphasis on their scope, definitions, and sanctions. The article also examines some alternative legislative approaches that have been proposed, and evaluates the laws based on what is being learned about the scope and nature of teen sexting behavior.

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Affiliations:  1: University of Massachusetts Lowell; 2: New York University School of Law.