Sending Of Nudes: Police Mom, Baines, Has A Message For Parents Of Teenagers And It’s Enlightening
PC Sally Baines, a West Yorkshire Police officer based in Kirklees, has given advice to parents of teenagers after speaking to two teenage girls who were ‘devastated’ after nude images of them were shared.
The Police mom took to her official Twitter account to share the girls’ distress after they were peer pressured into sending naked images of themselves to boys that were later shared with their friends.
In the tweet, she described how the girls were convinced to send the photographs because they were told “everyone else does it” and that if they didn’t the boys would “tell everyone they’re frigid.”
”Spoke to 2 teenage girls today about sending nude pics to boys. The boys have pressured them by telling them ‘everyone else does it’ and that if they didn’t they ‘would tell everyone they’re frigid’ Photos sent – boys have shown them to all their mates. Girls devastated.”
The officer explained that she is sharing the girls’ story to raise awareness about this form of ‘sexting’ which she worries is becoming increasingly normalised. She said:
”What is really sad is the normality attached to “sending nudes”. That asking for them is seen as completely normal amongst teens and that sending sexually explicit photos is also seen as a normal part of courtship/relationship.
The girls I spoke to today both felt under immense pressure to send these photos as they wanted the boys to like them, and the boys had said they wanted to ‘see what was on offer’. I honestly felt like crying when I heard this.”
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She explained that she is sharing the girls’ story to encourage parents to speak to their children – both boys and girls. PC Baines said:
”As the Mother of a 10-year-old daughter, this both depressed and terrifies me.
Speak to your daughters about this – tell them that being pushed into sending nudes is not part of a loving, healthy relationship. Saying No is perfectly acceptable and nothing to be ashamed of.
Speak to your sons about this – tell them that pressuring girls into sending nudes, & if pressure doesn’t work, shaming them into doing it is awful. And that sharing the photos amongst mates or posting on Snapchat groups is quite frankly disgusting, not to mention an offence.
I spent hours with these girls today. There were tears of embarrassment, frustration, regret, and anger. They weren’t the first girls to do this, & they won’t be the last. Parents, do me a favour – PLEASE – speak to your teens about this.”
In a later update, PC Baines confirmed that crimes have been recorded, will be investigated and the boys concerned will be interviewed by the police.
”LATE ADDITION: For those asking, crimes have been recorded, they will be investigated & the boys concerned will be interviewed about it. I just wanted to raise awareness about the whole “asking for nudes” thing and being pressured into sending them.”
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Like PC Baines, the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) encourages parents to talk to their children about ‘sexting’ and explain the risks. They advise parents to:
– Tell them what can happen when things go wrong and explain the dangers and legal issues and ask them if they’d want something private shown to the world.
– Talk about whether a person who asks for an image from you might also be asking other people for images.
– If children are sending images to people they trust, they may not think there’s much risk involved. Use examples of when friends or partners have had a falling-out and what might happen to the images if this happens.”
– Make sure they know that you’re always there for support if they feel pressured by anyone
– Explain that they can come to you if someone asks to send them a nude picture or if they receive an explicit message
– Let them know that you won’t be angry with them but just want to make sure they’re safe and happy.
