It’s not uncommon for teenagers to send their nude or half-nude pictures to their friends or even upload them online. This is called sexting and it can be very dangerous for your child’s safety and reputation. The talk about sexting is something you shouldn’t avoid, but don’t force it. As with other difficult conversations you should wait for a perfect opportunity, time when both you and your child feel comfortable and ready to discuss.

Tell them that your biggest concern is their safety and well-being and then point out all the risks that sexting involves. You could start the conversation by admitting some of your vulnerabilities to gain their trust. Then tell them that even though you don’t know all about new technologies, you do know that pictures, videos and texts can stay forever on the internet; so, they need to think hard about consequences before posting something online. Also everything they send to someone can be spread around, and even one wrong text or picture can cause a lot of embarrassment and trouble later on.