According to our tech expert,  theonlinemom.com, Monica Vila,  now that school is back in session, sexting is back...and back with a vengeance. All across the country, schools have been reporting increased incidents of kids sending nude (yes, nude!) or inappropriate photos of themselves via email or text.  

While many parents think this is reserved for "other people's kids" (I confess, I'm in this group!) the statistics are pretty startling:

- 60% of teens have been involved in sexting.

- If you have two kids (or more), there's a good chance that at least one of them is invovled in sexting.

- Sexting can have serious consquences (not all as serious as this case which led to a young woman's suicide) but serious nonetheless.

- Punishment for sexting goes beyond legal consequences - a little inappropriate behavior can cause a lot of humiliation and hurt. 

Yes, kids growing up today are going to explore their sexuality in individual and certainly different ways than we did.  But both parents and kids need to know that errors in judgment can have long-lasting and serious emotional consequences if images and videos get into the wrong hands.   So don't wait for something to happen -- have a nice chat with your kids about the serious consequences of sexting. 

For more tips and great advice about technology and your kids, visit the Online Mom.