In the wake of nearly two dozen Cal High students being suspended for being in possession of or involved with the distribution of sexually explicit photos on their phones, school administrators are taking steps to educate students on the dangers of sexting.

Last month, a sexting scandal was exposed at Cal when nude pictures of female students were discovered on several students’ phones.

Teachers and administrators confiscated phones and called in students for questioning about the alleged sexting, the sending of sexually explicit photos or texts through an electronic device such as a phone.

As a result, administrators are now thinking about hosting grade-wide assemblies about online and digital safety. The purpose of these assemblies would be to educate students about the dangers of sexting and other safety precautions they should take while online.

“The best thing we can do is educate the students,” assistant principal Sarah Wondolowski said. “The ways of sexting keep changing and we want the students to be aware of the ways these things happen and the decisions they make.”

Administrators also hope to incorporate new curriculum  about sexting in freshmen health classes in lieu of a freshmen assembly.

Beginning with the second semester in January and continuing into the fall semester of 2013, the school hopes to have resource officers visit health classes to discuss some of the “digital decisions” students face.

“I already talk about it, and I think the other two health teachers do as well,” health teacher Susan Fitch said.  “But it still is a great idea to know what the laws are and what’s considered inappropriate.”

Although administrators and teachers believe such education will benefit the school community, some students think that it won’t have any effect on the decisions students make about these serious topics.

“I feel like education won’t work,” sophomore Morgan Ham said. “I mean, there is already so much awareness for drugs and drinking that the school has, but kids still do it. It’s not going to stop them.”

Provocative photos and messages have always been around and are now able to spread more rapidly than ever.  Faster technology, smart phones, and more social networking sites have made sexting not only easier but more tempting.

There are countless cases about sexting, and the consequences involve an enormous range of people, from students to celebrities.

Some of these scandals don’t affect students because they are usually so far away and therefore don’t relate to teens. But there are still cases involving sexting close to home.

Last year in Sunnyvale, located in the South Bay about 40 minutes from San Ramon, a high school girl committed suicide after nude photos of her circulated.  The girl sent naked photos of herself to her boyfriend. After they broke up, her ex-boyfriend sent the photos to classmates. The harassment that followed became so bad she committed suicide.

Under California law, adults convicted of distributing, possessing or producing a sexually explicit image of a minor could receive up to six years in jail and generally will be required to register as a sex offender, according to mobilemediaguard.net.Being labled a sex offender is a stigma that stays on a person’s permanent record.

A proposed California bill would reduce the current punishment for minors, who could now face felony charges if they produce, distribute or possess sexually explicit photos of other minors. Community service and counseling, to be paid for by the minor’s parents, would be required under the proposal. Another proposed bill would result in expulsion for minors caught sexting during school, according to mobilemediaguard.net.

Sexting also creates an opportunity to be blackmailed by recipients of explicit photos.

“I think that sending pictures like that is really low,” senior Connor Wick said. “It shows a lack of morals and character if girls send it and if guys spread it around.”

Administrators want students to keep the consequences of sexting in mind if contemplating whether they should send nude photos of themselves or others. Once inappropriate photos are sent, they can’t be taken back, but they can come back to bite the sender in the future

“You can’t get it back from cyberspace,” Fitch said.