Teens Sexting Can Be Linked to Depression and The Increase in Suicide

Recent research has pointed to sexting of comprimising pictures, nasty obnoxious, degrading and humiliating texts, "sexts" mostly connected with cyberbullying, hazing and harrassment has lead to an underlying depression and an increase in suicide ideation and the ultimate act of ending the pain. Many kids who have been harrassed over the course of years get to a point where they understandingly can't take it any more.

Fifteen years ago I worked with a lovely gal, 15 at the time, who was harassed and bullied both at school and at home. Her mom at the time, not in the know, nice woman, asked her to ignore it. It got to the point where her daughter refused to go to school. After finally trying repeatedly to enlist the school as a protector of her daughter whose capacity to focus on her studies was severely compromised by terror, fear, anxiety when her perpetrator and her accomplice were going to attack again.

She overdosed on sleeping pills before her Mom brought her to see me. In a split second I suggested this sweet quiet gal move in with her grandpa and attend a different school. That dramatically helped. This was before the Internet, Formspring, 24/7 cyberbulling, cell phones and texts and sexts. This was bad enough and now...

Think of Phoebe Prince, who committed suicide (cybercide), who was bullied, cyberbullied, hazed and harrassed by the girls who were severely jealous.These same girls posted a Hate site, pushed and shoved her, called her slut and whore, threw objects at her. She received sexts that were degrading, debasing and humiliating with conscious intent to harm and hurt her.

Yes females that have allowed boyfriends to take pics of them nude or partially nude once there is a break up it's fodder for the entire school.

Also in my County my pal shared that her daughter told her that "penis" pictures were being sexed and forwarded as well. Not very funny!!!

The impact is depressing and kids have committed suicide, both girls and boys.

Think of Jamie Sodemeyer, 14 year old a gay male teen, an activist, who for years put on a "brave face" but was crumbling inside and finally succumed and committed suicide. Who's made from that kind of iron? He was beaten down over the course of 3 plus years.

The N.J. anti bullying law, a very stringent one, coming out of the suicide of Tyler Clemente, a Rutgers College student who was humiliated and hazed with a sexually explicit tape being put all over the Net. My pal Beth, a H.S. guidance counselor who works in a middle school in NJ has seen the new bill in action in her school. She shared that now the principal must now involve the police for an immediate investigation if any suspected bullying, cyber etc., is reported. It's about time!!!

NYS is in the midst of working on a law that will be attached to the stalking law that will put cyberbullying on the level of a felony and manslaughter. Bravo, and hopefully a big STOP sign for the perpetrators.