This book explores the policing response to teen sexting – the digital exchange, both consensual and non-consensual, of intimate images among youth peers. With a particular focus in England and Wales, it also considers other international responses and the challenges faced in policing youth practices with legislation being applied beyond its intended scope. It uses the police responses in England and Wales as a case study of the challenges of policy evolving the digital cultural phenomenon and the tensions between enforcing the law, while knowing it’s not fit for purpose, and supporting vulnerable minors. It explores the policy responses that have developed from the problematic legislation and whether these policy interventions have helped or hindered the policing process. It draws in parallels with drugs policy and policing, and brings in progressive, harm reduction approaches in contrast to traditional solutions.

"The digital transmission of words and images is immediate and unbounded. This creates new freedoms but also new risks. In this important review of 'where we are', Phippen and Bond set out principles for harm reduction, weigh the balance of rights and law, and remind us that they shouldn't have had to write this book! This is a major contribution to work on safeguarding, sexting and victimization." -Nigel South, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Essex, UK This book explores the policing response to teen sexting - the digital exchange, both consensual and non-consensual, of intimate images among youth peers. With a particular focus in England and Wales, it also considers other international responses and the challenges faced in policing youth practices with legislation being applied beyond its intended scope. It uses the police responses in England and Wales as a case study of the challenges of policy evolving the digital cultural phenomenon and the tensions between enforcing the law, while knowing it's not fit for purpose, and supporting vulnerable minors. It explores the policy responses that have developed from the problematic legislation and whether these policy interventions have helped or hindered the policing process. It draws in parallels with drugs policy and policing, and brings in progressive, harm reduction approaches in contrast to traditional solutions. Andy Phippen is Professor of Digital Rights at Bournemouth University, UK. Emma Bond is Pro-vice Chancellor (Research) and Professor of Sociotechnical Studies at the University of Suffolk, UK.

This collection focuses attention on an important but academically neglected area of contemporary operational policing: the regulation of consensual sexual practices. Despite the high-level public visibility of, and debate about, policing in relation to violent and abusive sexual crimes (from child sexual abuse to adult rape) very little public or scholarly attention is paid to the policing of consensual sexual practices in contemporary societies. Whilst ‘sexual life’ is commonly understood to be a matter of ‘private life’ that is beyond formal social control, this book shows that policing is implicated in the regulation of a wide range of consensual sexual practices. This book brings together a well known and respected group of academics, from a range of disciplines, to explore the role of the police in shaping the boundaries of that aspect of our lives that we imagine to be most intimate and most our own. The volume presents a ‘snap shot’ of policing in respect of a number of diverse areas – such as public sex, pornography, and sex work – and considers how sexual orientation structures police responses to them. The authors critically examine how policing is implicated in the social, moral and political landscape of sex and, contrary to the established rhetoric of politicians and criminal justice practitioners, continues to intervene in the private lives of citizens. It is essential supplementary reading for courses in criminology, law, policing, sociology of deviance, gender and sexuality, and cultural studies.

Technology has made so many things possible, including sending romantic messages to someone else via text. Sexting is just a new form of communication that continues to serve our need to tell one another things, but sometimes this can go horribly wrong, especially being of a sexual nature. This book debates the issue of sexting, touching on such topics as the rise of sexting among teens and adults, if it is hurtful to teens, and whether or not sexting is a criminal offense.

Chapter “Predictive Policing in 2025: A Scenario” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Sexting: Gender and Teens provides a close-up look into the intimate and gendered world of teens and those who live with and work with them. The author draws upon interviews with teens, parents and caregivers, and many others who work with teens from teachers and youth workers to principals and police, we learn how the new digital world is still permeated by beliefs and patterns of earlier patriarchal structures. This three state study reveals there are significant gendered differences among teens in their perspectives on sexting, and these differences have implications for how to respond to the issue of teen sexting. Adults, too, demonstrate gendered differences in their views on teen sexting, and these differences have an important impact on the shaping of youth views about gender and sexuality. As one mother said, “Girls set the pace, and boys notch the bedpost.” Some key findings include: • The human curriculum of sexuality is both conserving and adapting, and these two impulses are always interacting. • We are in the midst of social and technological changes that have vast implications for all of our cultural notions, including sexuality. • Regarding sexting: Adults are pointing fingers in many directions and leaving adolescents to fend for themselves. This compelling account—presented through the words of participants—provides a vivid introduction to hands-on social research that will be of interest to those in gender and women’s studies as well as the broader disciplines that touch upon these concerns, such as sociology, education, psychology, media studies, criminal justice, and other fields. Sure to spark strong opinions and discussion, the book offers opportunities for sustained engagement with topics of critical interest to today’s digital world. Judith Davidson, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Education at University of Massachusetts–Lowell, where she teaches qualitative research methods. As a methodologist, she is particularly interested in the use of digital tools in qualitative research and working with research design for complex projects. She is a co-founder of the cross-campus Qualitative Research Network and has overseen numerous qualitative research dissertations, both activities that allow her to enjoy coaching qualitative research. She has consulted and worked on qualitative research projects in diverse areas from sexting to technology integration in K-12 schools.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING GUIDE THAT PARENTS WILL WANT FOR THEIR TEENS This thorough, concise guide offers straight talk about: • The male and female body as it changes and matures. • Teen relationships: what it takes to create happy, supportive, positive, and meaningful connections with family, friends, and others. • Identity empowerment: how to be authentic and thrive in today’s world. • Sex and sexuality for boys and girls: how teens should take care of their bodies, embrace their experiences, and strengthen self-esteem. • Strategies for working through the toughest challenges, including bullying, sexual abuse, eating disorders, pregnancy, and more. Praise for Being a Teen “A frank and candid resource for adolescents.”—People “Fonda’s warmth and love for the teen community is evident.”—Publishers Weekly “Clear, practical, and riveting, Being a Teen cuts away at myth, enhances teens’ self-esteem, and arms them with a trove of useful information. Beautifully organized . . . Any parent, teacher, coach, or doctor needs to read this authoritative guide. What a lifesaver for our boys and girls!”—William S. Pollack, PhD, author of the international bestseller Real Boys and Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School “Being a Teen should be in the hands of every teen in the world. It is a myth-busting, fact-filled treasure full of life information all teens want and need to know.”—Christiane Northrup, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom “Clear, unflinching, and nonjudgmental . . . a reliable guide to the turbulent physical and social transitions of adolescence.”—Michael Kimmel, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies, Stony Brook University, and author of Guyland “A comprehensive, honest, fun-to-read book for today’s teenagers. This delightful book will be used again and again.”—The Reverend Debra W. Haffner, president, Religious Institute, and author of From Diapers to Dating “Detailed, accurate and practical . . . an excellent resource.”—Paul Kivel, author of Boys Will Be Men