Dive Brief:

• California Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) proposed Assembly Bill 2536 last month, which would let schools suspend or expel students who sext with "with the purpose or effect of humiliating or harassing a pupil," the Los Angeles Times reports.
• Penalties would result from sexting on the way to school or school events, while at school, or when leaving school or sanctioned events. 
• The regulations would provide a framework for discipline that doesn't exist for sexting that doesn't reach a criminal threshold, and is more detailed than current cyberbullying, revenge porn and child pornography laws in the state. 

Dive Insight:

Sexting is the norm in many high schools, and a long list of cautionary tales exist related to the subject.

Recently, in Colorado, a felony investigation was announced in Cañon County High School resulting from a sexting scandal involving students trading pictures on a password-protected app disguised to look like a calculator or media player. That prompted Cañon County superintendent George Welsh to say, "There isn't a school in the United States probably at this point that hasn't at some point dealt with the issue of sexting." 

That's why school leaders and district officials should pay close attention to California's new legislative proposal. In 2011, the American Assn. of University Women published a survey that found the posting of "unwelcome sexual comments, jokes or pictures" was the most common form of online sexual harassment for middle and high school students.

Aside from state-level solutions, experts also say that it's important for schools to be proactive around sexting. Having a robust IT department and clear guidelines on the appropriate use of online platforms, etiquette, smartphone use, and conduct can help. Guidelines related to privacy, bullying, language and social media can assist administrators and communities when the issue arises.