Digital Consent: Your Body, Your Rules 📱

Week 18 Curriculum Note: This is the final module in Unit 6: Personal Safety. You've already covered recognizing grooming tactics and understanding sextortion. Both of those modules deal with situations where someone manipulates or coerces you. This module focuses on the foundational concept that underpins all of it: consent — specifically around images, your body, and digital life.

Consent: More Than Just a Buzzword

You've probably heard the word "consent" before. But let's make sure we're on the same page about what it actually means — especially online.

Consent is:

• 🟢 Freely given — No pressure, manipulation, threats, or guilt trips
• 🟢 Informed — The person knows what they're agreeing to
• 🟢 Specific — Saying yes to one thing doesn't mean yes to everything
• 🟢 Reversible — You can change your mind at ANY time
• 🟢 Enthusiastic — A hesitant "I guess..." is not consent

You might remember this framework by the acronym FRIES (developed by Planned Parenthood). It applies to physical situations, but it applies just as much to photos, videos, and digital content.

How Consent Applies to Photos and Images

In the digital world, consent around images involves three separate permissions:

1. Consent to Capture 📸

"Is it okay if I take this photo/video?"

Just because you're hanging out with someone doesn't mean you have automatic permission to photograph or record them. This is especially true for:

• Photos taken when someone is vulnerable (sleeping, changing, emotional)
• Screenshots of private conversations
• Recordings of video calls

2. Consent to Share 📤

"Can I send this to someone / post it?"

This is a separate permission from taking the photo. Someone might be okay with you taking a photo of the two of you but NOT okay with you posting it on Instagram. Always ask.

3. Ongoing Consent 🔄

"I know you said yes before, but are you still okay with it?"

Consent isn't a one-time thing. People can and do change their minds. If someone asks you to:

• Delete a photo you have of them
• Take down a post featuring them
• Stop sharing something they previously said was okay

Respect it. Every time.

The Reality of Sexting

Let's talk honestly. Sexting — sending or receiving sexually explicit messages, photos, or videos — is something that happens among teens. You may have heard about it, been asked to do it, or seen it happen in your social circles.

Here's what the research actually says:

• Studies show that about 15-28% of teens report sending a sext, and slightly more report receiving one
• That means the majority of teens are NOT doing it, despite what it might seem like
• Among those who do, many report feeling pressured or coerced rather than doing it freely

This module isn't here to shame anyone. It's here to make sure you have the information and tools to make your own decisions and protect yourself and others.

The Legal Reality

This is important and a lot of young people don't know this:

In many states, creating, possessing, or sharing sexually explicit images of anyone under 18 — including yourself — can have legal consequences.

Even though these laws were designed to protect young people from exploitation, they can sometimes be applied to teens who were sending images voluntarily. Depending on the state:

• 📋 Teens may face charges related to the production or distribution of explicit material involving a minor
• ⚖️ Some states have specific laws for minors that treat this differently from adult offenses
• 📱 Sharing someone else's intimate images without consent may violate revenge porn laws (which exist in most states and also apply to minors in many jurisdictions)

You don't need to be a legal expert. But you should know: the law takes this seriously, even among minors.

Your Body, Your Rules — Online Too

Here's the core message:

No one is entitled to images of your body. You are never obligated to share them. And if you choose to share something and it gets misused, that is the fault of the person who misused it — NOT yours.

This applies regardless of:

• Your gender
• Your relationship status
• What you've shared before
• What anyone else is doing

Your body. Your choice. Your right to say no. Always.

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Key Takeaway: Digital consent follows the FRIES framework — Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic, and Specific. Consent to take a photo is not consent to share it. Consent given once can be withdrawn at any time. And your body is yours — online and offline.