No, we're not still talking about Congressman Anthony Weiner. This “sexting” story is about a bill that just passed the California State Senate unanimously (and now heads to the Assembly). It says that school kids caught sexting can be kicked out of school permanently. It defines sexting specifically as "the sending or receiving of sexually explicit pictures or video images by means of an electronic act." Senator Ted Lieu (D-28) introduced the legislation. He called sexting a growing problem in California schools, and cited a recent study showing 20 percent of teens have sent or posted nude or semi-nude photos of themselves. But does the punishment fit the crime? Is this generation's sexting the back-seat groping of yesteryear? Or is it a destructive behavior that should have zero tolerance?
Guest:
Ted Lieu, California State Senator (D-Torrance)
Yalda T. Uhls, Researcher at the Children’s Digital Media Center @ Los Angeles (CDMC@LA), at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)