While some secondary schools in other parts of New Zealand are banning cellphones in changing rooms to try to stop the spread of sexual images via text message, the practice is not believed to be an issue in Otago schools.
Secondary Principals' Association of New Zealand (Spanz) president Patrick Walsh said the practice was known as "sexting", and many schools had initiated a ban after pupils were found to be photographing themselves or others in various states of undress.
The images were then circulated as "sext messages", often between boyfriends and girlfriends, he said.
"They take intimate photographs of themselves and send it to their boyfriend or girlfriend. Unfortunately, as often happens with teenagers, the relationship breaks down and these images are then used as weapons against [them]," he told Radio New Zealand yesterday.
"That can be very upsetting and distressing."
Mr Walsh said parents were usually oblivious to the practice and urged them to check their teens' cellphones regularly.
Many public changing rooms and gyms have also banned the use of cellphones.
However, Spanz executive member and Otago Girls' High School principal Jan Anderson said sexting did not appear to be an issue in Otago schools.
