Statement by Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of NCOSE
Washington, DC – Tuesday, during a game of “J Lo or J No” on the Live with Kelly and Michael show, when the hosts asked her opinion on sexting Jennifer Lopez stated: “(It’s) dangerous. I’m just going to have to say J No.” The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) commends Lopez’s statement and encourages her to continue to speak out about the harms of sexting.
“It’s important that celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, who often act as role models, spread awareness about the dangers of sexting,” said Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. “Adolescents, teens, and even young adults need to know that sexting could have serious consequences for future jobs, self-image, and even their personal safety. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) estimates that 90% of self-made sexually explicit images are “stolen” from their original upload location such as laptop webcams or phones. The fact of the matter is that once a sext is sent, whether through text message, Snapchat, or the Internet, it is very likely that someone other than the intended recipient will see it. Many online or relational abusers target girls and use their explicit photos as blackmail to coerce them into sending more images or potentially meeting in person. Celebrities like Jenifer Lopez have a tremendous opportunity to speak out and to help ease some of the social pressures to sext, so I hope that she will continue to talk about this subject.”
“One of the most popular apps for sexting right now is Snapchat,” Hawkins added. “The company claims that images sent via their app disappear after a few seconds, though it has been proven that these images can be hacked and regained. Snapchat has been named to the National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s 2016 Dirty Dozen List of mainstream companies facilitating sexual exploitation because Snapchat has not only fostered a culture of sexting but it has also moved to monetize the exchange of pornography through Snapcash.”