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'Looking the other way is no longer an option': How to talk to your teen about sexting

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"The truth is, if you are not talking to them about it, someone else is, or they are getting information online or from their friends". (Getty Images)
"The truth is, if you are not talking to them about it, someone else is, or they are getting information online or from their friends". (Getty Images)

With digital communication taking centre stage during lockdown, you may have become more concerned with your child's life online, and if checking in on what your teen has been up to lately has led to some explicit discoveries, local wellness coach, Kate Rowe, says not to be surprised. 

"If I were a 16-year-old and I had not seen the person I was in a relationship with, I am pretty sure I would be communicating in all the ways available to me... expressing my desire, connecting, and interacting sexually, which in [lockdown] would include sexting and online video calls." 

Shock and discomfort quickly replaced by anger may have been your initial (and understandable) response, but Rowe is urging parents to consider a more nuanced approach. 

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