They’re not smart. They’re not safe. But these fads are all real—and have all made headlines for endangering the lives of tweens and teens. Most kids won’t try them, but it’s important to be in the know. If you hear about any of these things happening in your community, have a conversation with your teen.

Posting Racy Photos Online

Kids might think their questionable online photos are “private” just because they choose certain privacy settings. Two high school girls from Indianapolis learned the hard way that this isn’t always the case. When someone passed their racy (and supposedly “private”) MySpace photos along to school administrators, the school took action, banning the girls from sports and making them apologize to the coaches’ board. Now the girls are suing, saying that their freedom of speech was violated.

Other kids have faced expulsion or lost scholarships over online photos. A 14-year-old New Jersey girl was even hit with child pornography charges after posting nude photos of herself on MySpace.

—Laura Motta

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