Fabian Saleh and Albert Grudzinskas (Eds.): Adolescent Sexual Behavior in the Digital Age: Considerations for Clinicians, Legal Professionals and Educators

Abstract

Digital technology and social media have become the predominant form of communication and socialization for adolescents, positively contributing to the production of knowledge, communication, and creative expression. However, the dark side of the digital revolution has brought unforeseen problematic behaviors that threaten the protection and development of adolescents. Among many potential problematic behaviors, the book Adolescent Sexual Behavior in the Digital Age focuses specifically on adolescents’ problematic sexual behaviors in the digital age. Due to the lack of proper understanding of teenage sexual development’s relationship to technology, adults often fail to protect adolescents from harming themselves and others. The core argument of the book is that adolescents outpace adults in their technology usage, fostering problematic behaviors that are unregulated and not properly addressed. As a result, the book examines the rapidly changing sexual behaviors to aid in comprehending adolescent sexuality in today’s ever evolving digital age. To achieve this goal, the book is effectively written in three parts by multiple leading authorities: Part I of the book (chapters 1‐4) includes the legal, developmental and psychological aspects of adolescent sexual behavior, aiding the overall understanding of relationship between adolescent sexuality and technology. Part II (chapters 5‐10) introduces unforeseen problematic behaviors of the digital age that would raise the readers’ awareness of its destructive potentials. Finally, in Part III (chapters 11‐15) of the book, practical implications and suggestions for potential best practices are suggested. The book is very well structured, beginning with the introduction of main topics and gradually informing the readers about examples of recent problematic behaviors, and lastly, concluding with possible solutions to such problems. The book presents an interesting and important topic for all readers involved with adolescents. The first chapter starts by introducing several cases of newly formed sexual behaviors and criticizes legal responses. An example is introduced with the case of a 17-year-old teen posting nude photos of his ex-girlfriend on the Internet as a form of revenge. Now commonly labeled as revenge porn, these actions lead victims to suffer severe mental harm and embarrassment and, in some cases, result in suicide. Another common newly formed behavior in the digital age is sexting. Unlike revenge porn, teens consensually send each other nude photos of themselves. Adolescents involved in these behaviors have been charged for manufacturing, disseminating, and possessing child pornography. They can further be penalized by being registered as sex offenders. Although the government has a very compelling interest in preventing the sexual exploitation of children, the court’s decision of registering these teens as sex offenders is controversial. The examples portray cases where laws originally designed to protect children were actually used to criminalize them. Clearly, newly formed adolescent behaviors in the digital age are regulated by laws that were not designed to address the specific issues presented. The current legal system’s lack of preparation in dealing with new forms of crime and deviant acts implies the need of effective methods for regulating the newly formed behaviors. The relationship between youth development and communication technologies, stages of sexual development in adolescents, and understanding of new technology are suggested as critical factors