Arguments for my position: Underage teenagers should not be charged with child pornography.

Argument #1: Underage teenagers are too young and immature to understand what they are doing and the consequences.

Unlike adults, teenagers do not have the same capacity to make rational choices before engaging in risky behaviors. It has been well documented, for example, that the part of the brain responsible for higher level of thinking (e.g., language, emotional behavior, etc.) is not fully developed in teenagers (Fuster, 2002). (Martinez-Prather et al 21).

Argument #2: Some underage teenagers "sext" because they are trying to gain acceptance from other.

Although some adolescents expressed a fear that sexting might lead to reputational damage, the normative climate and desire for approval motivated some to sext regardless (Lippman 371).

Argument #3: There are states that already recognize that charging teenagers with child pornography is too harsh.

In many jurisdictions, prosecutors may charge juveniles caught sexting with possession or distribution of child pornography. At the same time, some states have recognized the severity of such a charge and found other ways of addressing the teen sexting problem (McEllrath 1009).

Sources

Martinez-Prather, Kathy, and Donna M. Vandiver. "Sexting among Teenagers in the United States: A Retrospective Analysis of Identifying Motivating Factors, Potential Targets, and the Role of a Capable Guardian."International Journal of Cyber Criminology 8.1 (2014): 21-35. ProQuest. Web.

Lippman, Julia R., and Scott W. Campbell. "DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON'T . . . IF YOU'RE A GIRL: RELATIONAL AND NORMATIVE CONTEXTS OF ADOLESCENT SEXTING IN THE UNITED STATES." Journal of Children and Media 8.4 (2014): 371. ProQuest. Web.

McEllrath, Reid. "KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY: WHY A FLEXIBLE JUVENILE SEXTING STATUTE IS NEEDED TO PREVENT OVERLY SEVERE PUNISHMENT IN WASHINGTON STATE." Washington Law Review 89.3 (2014): 1009-34. ProQuest. Web.