Gordon Clay here. Sexting Part II

Sending flowers can seem passé to a generation raised on camera phones, social networks and the Internet.

Many state legislators are moving toward treating teen sexting as juvenile-law misdemeanors, not felony violations of anti-porn laws intended to protect children from adult predators. The Oregon legislature hasn't addressed the act of sexting and the "...laws regarding pornography and obscenity (in Oregon) tend to be somewhat complicated..." While each case would be judged on its own merits, there has been no case to date in Curry County. That doesn't mean it isn't happening. Just that no one has been prosecuted yet.

Vermont has introduced a bill that would legalize the consensual exchange of graphic images between two 13-to-18-year-olds, although passing on such images would remain a crime.

Quoting Marisa Nightingale, senior adviser to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, "Be proactive, not reactive. Raise the issue, even if it's uncomfortable. Instead of the 'Don't do that' lecture, open up the conversation. Say 'What do you think about this? Do you know kids who've done it? What do you think can happen when you have that photo of yourself out there?' Explain that 'when you send a photo of yourself off into the ether, you are making a decision to forgo control over yourself and your image.' Setting limits is key. Let them know what is appropriate to you and what your values are. You can't assume they know what you think."

There's more valuable information in the May issue of Reader's Digest. If you have a child between 8 to 18 with access to a computer or cellphone, it behooves you to go to the library and read it.