Barrington school warning: 'Sexting' on the rise
Incidents surface at middle school; police tell parents to check their children's phones
Officials in Barrington have recently seen an increase in "sexting" incidents among middle school students.
Barrington Middle School Principal Dr. Andrew Anderson and Assistant Principal Erica Bulk included an item in the recent school newsletter that stated: "Increasingly parents and students report that some students are sending and receiving inappropriate (and sometimes explicit) images/videos over social media outside of school.
"It is important to note that these types of social media are blocked at the middle school and on the Chromebooks; however students can access through their personal cell phones data carriers."
A "sexting" incident that involved Barrington Middle School students surfaced in this week's police report.
On Friday, Barrington police officers spoke with the parents of four middle school students — two 12-year-old girls, a 13-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy — after the juveniles were engaged in sexting.
According to Barrington police, one of the youngsters had taken nude pictures or video of himself and it was being shared electronically by other students.
The middle school newsletter referenced the apps that students are using.
"Many students who use the popular social media app 'SnapChat' believe the image 'goes away' in 10 seconds. However the individual receiving the Snapchat can either screenshot or video record the image, making a permanent copy which they can share," stated the newsletter.
"Snapchapt is intended for individuals over the age of 13. The disclaimer agreement states that SnapChat owns 100 percent of all images/content that is shared over their app. In fact, social media apps can be subpoenaed due to individuals sending and receiving illegal images."
The middle school administrators said there are serious dangers associated with sending and receiving inappropriate images and video content.
"For a quick lapse in judgment, there can be long-lasting and, sometimes, irreversible consequences…" stated the newsletter.
"If your child receives an inappropriate image, do not to delete it. Notify local authorities immediately."
Barrington Police Chief John LaCross said local parents need to speak to their children about the dangers of "sexting" and he also encouraged parents to check their children's phones on a regular basis.
