I’m not sure that “sexting” has been on the radar screen of the U.S. Department of Education for very long. But I’m guessing the education and legal experts who’ve been urging school administrators to get more proactive in tackling the growing trend among middle and high school students, which I reported here, are encouraged that the topic is set to be covered at the department’s national conference on Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
The agenda for the conference, being held Aug. 3-5 in Prince George’s County, Md., is packed with the typical fare you would expect for the federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools program: child health and wellness; youth-program development; emergency response in schools; community engagement; and drug-abuse prevention and testing. But it also has some sessions on very timely technology-related issues.
The meeting, titled “The Power of Change: Healthy Students, Safe Schools, and Engaged Communities,” has workshops on sexting—the practice among adolescents of sending provocative photos of themselves over mobile devices like cellphones—as well as cyberbullying, social networking, and Internet connectivity.
This event is free, but space is limited, so if you’re interested, register here.
I’ve been trying to gauge just how much (or how little) school administrators are addressing the issue of sexting through new policies, professional development, and student-training sessions. Let me know of any efforts you’ve heard about.
