The Pettis County Juvenile Office experiences a variety of issues related to problems with adolescents on a daily basis. The two most common, serious infractions officers face with minors are increased incidences of sexting and the use of marijuana.
Sexting is a growing trend among teens and young adults that has come with the advancements of cellular technology. Young people engage in sexually explicit conversations through cellphone texts and often send nude photographs and videos by way of media messaging.
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]D652=:256>@4C2E]4@>^D64E:@?D^=6EE6CD\E@\E96\65:E@C^Qmk:>8 2=:8?lQ=67EQ 3@C56ClQ_Q DC4lQ9EEAi^^:>286D]@?D6E]7C665@>]4@>^D652=:2^E9F>3^D\H92EDJ@FCG:6H];A8Q ^mk^2mp=E9@F89 J@F?8 25F=ED 92G6 2 8C62E6C D6?D6 @7 2H2C6?6DD 4@?46C?:?8 E96 4@?D6BF6?46D @7 E96D6 24E:@?D[ E96:C J@F?86C 4@F?E6CA2CED 2C6 @7E6? @3=:G:@FD E@ E96 C6A6C4FDD:@?D D6IE:?8 42? 92G6 @? E96:C =:G6D]k^Am
kAm%96D6 E6IE >6DD286D 2?5 A9@E@8C2A9D 42? 36 D92C65 H:E9 E96 H@C=5 :? E96 3=:?< @7 2? 6J6] x>286D 42? 62D:=J 36 EC2?D76CC65 E@ E96 x?E6C?6E G:2 D@4:2= ?6EH@C<:?8 D:E6D 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 E@ D66] (92E >@DE @7E6? 368:?D 2D 2 AC:G2E6 4@?G6CD2E:@? 36EH66? 2 8:C= 2?5 3@J :D 72C E@@ @7E6? >256 AF3=:4 H96? 2 C6=2E:@?D9:A 6?5D @C H96? @?6 A2CE:4:A2?E W@C 3@E9X 49@@D6 E@ D92C6 E96:C ?6H=J 24BF:C65 :>286D H:E9 ;FDE @?6 @C >@C6 A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm(6 <?@H E9C@F89 E96 AC@46DD @7 49:=5 8C@HE9 2?5 56G6=@A>6?E E92E J@F?8 E66?D 5@ ?@E 7F==J F?56CDE2?5 E96 C62=:EJ @7 4@?D6BF6?46D C682C5:?8 :?E:>2E6 4@?G6CD2E:@?D @C A9@E@D] %96J 2C6 ?@E H:C65 E@ E9:?< E92E 72C 29625] x? 2? :?DE2?E[ 2 A@@C 564:D:@? 92D E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ =625 E@ 2 =:76E:>6 @7 6>32CC2DD>6?E[ D92>6 2?5 :? D@>6 :?DE2?46D[ 2 4C:>:?2= C64@C5]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ yFG6?:=6 ~77:46 DA@<6D>2? %:> r2CC[ E9@D6 H9@ E2<6 W6G6? :7 E96 A6CD@? :D D6=7\A9@E@8C2A9:?8X 2 ?F56 A:4EFC6[ E96 A6CD@? H9@ :?:E:2==J D6?5D E96 A9@E@[ 2D H6== 2D E96 A6CD@? H9@ 7@CH2C5D :E 42? 2== 36 492C865 H:E9 24ED @7 49:=5 A@C?@8C2A9J[ H9:49[ :7 4@?G:4E65[ 42? 4C62E6 2 76=@?J C64@C5 =62G:?8 E96 A6CA6EC2E@C E@ 36 C68:DE6C65 2D 2 D6I @776?56C 7@C =:76]k^Am
kAmr2CC :D H@C<:?8 H:E9 E9C66 D6ED @7 ;FG6?:=6D :?G@=G:?8 D6IE:?8 A@C?@8C2A9:4 >2E6C:2=] %9:D AC@3=6> :D 364@>:?8 >@C6 AC6G2=6?E :? !6EE:D r@F?EJ 2?5 :D 5C2H:?8 2EE6?E:@? ?2E:@?H:56 2D =2H>2<6CD 2EE6>AE E@ 6DE23=:D9 =2HD E92E H:== AC@G:56 >@C6 2AAC@AC:2E6 4@?D6BF6?46D 7@C E9:D EJA6 @7 @776?D6]k^Am
kAmz:5D[ 2D E6>AE:?8 2D :E >:89E 36 E@ :?5F=86 :? E9:D D@CE @7 24E:G:EJ[ x :>A=@C6 J@F E@ D:>A=J =:DE6? E@ 2?5 9665 E9:D 25G:46i s@?’E 5@ :E] *@F H:==[ F?6BF:G@42==J[ C68C6E :E] }@E9:?8 8@@5 42? 4@>6 7C@> D92C:?8 J@FC A2CEJ A:4EFC6D @C ?F5:EJ :? 2 E6IE >6DD286 @C E9C@F89 D@4:2= ?6EH@C<:?8] %9:?< 367@C6 J@F 24E 2?5 DE2J 2H2J 7C@> E96 A6@A=6 H9@ >:89E A=246 J@F :? 2 A@D:E:@? E@ 92G6 J@FC A:4EFC6 E2<6?[ D92C65 2?5 23FD65]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96?[ E96C6 :D E92E A6D<J A=2?E[ >2C:;F2?2]k^Am
kAmr9:=5C6? 2C6 FD:?8 E9:D DF3DE2?46 2E 2? 2=2C>:?8=J 9:89 C2E6] w2=7 @7 r2CC’D 42D6=@25 :?G@=G6D 25@=6D46?ED 4@>>:EE:?8 4C:>6D H9:=6 F?56C E96 :?7=F6?46 @7 >2C:;F2?2]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E9:D 5CF8[ 2D H6== 2D H:E9 2=4@9@= 2?5 @E96C >:?5\2=E6C:?8 496>:42=D[ 25@=6D46?ED CF? E96 C:D< @7 56=2J:?8 2?5^@C 56DEC@J:?8 E96 3C2:?’D 23:=:EJ E@ 56G6=@A]k^Am
kAm%CJ E@ :>28:?6 E9:Di %96C6 :D 2 DA246 36EH66? E96 AC@46DD @7 E9@F89E 2?5 E96 <6J E92E EFC?D E96 E9@F89E :?E@ >@E:@? @C 24E:@?]k^Am
kAm%6EC29J5C@42??23:?@=[ 42==65 %wr[ :D 2 DF3DE2?46 :? >2C:;F2?2 E92E 24ED 2D 2 32CC:6C 36EH66? E96 E9@F89E 2?5 E96 <6J[ 4C62E:?8 2 AC@=@?865 C6DA@?D6 E:>6] sFC:?8 25@=6D46?46[ E96 3C2:? :D H@C<:?8 92C5 E@ 56G6=@A E92E DA246[ 2?5 H96? %wr :D AC6D6?E[ 8C@HE9 6:E96C D=@HD @C DE@AD]k^Am
kAmpD :7 E92E :D?’E 325 6?@F89[ E96C6 2C6 25F=ED H9@ 2C6 DFAA=J:?8 E96D6 5CF8D E@ 49:=5C6? 7@C 4@?DF>AE:@? 2?5 C6D2=6] !2C6?ED[ D:3=:?8D[ 2F?ED 2?5 F?4=6D @C E96 A2C6?ED @7 2 49:=5’D 7C:6?5 E@A E96 =:DE @7 AC@G:56CD]k^Am
kAmx7 2? 25F=E 49@@D6D E@ 4@?DF>6 5CF8D[ <?@H:?8 E96 7F== C2>:7:42E:@?D @7 E92E 49@:46[ 96 @C D96 :D @=5 6?@F89 E@ 36 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E92E 24E:@?] w@H6G6C[ AC@G:5:?8 E96D6 5CF8D E@ 49:=5C6? H9@ @7E6? 5@?’E 92G6 D6?D6 6?@F89 E@ E2<6 2 32E9 2?5 492?86 E96:C 4=@E96D D9@F=5 36[ :? >J @A:?:@?[ AF?:D923=6 3J AF3=:4 7=@88:?8]k^Am
kAmq6=:6G6 E9:Di %96C6 2C6 A2C6?ED H9@ AC@G:56 >2C:;F2?2 E@ E96:C 49:=5C6?[ 6?4@FC286 :ED FD6 2?5 D6?5 E96> E@ D49@@= E@ D6== :E E@ @E96C 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm(96? x 925 >J 7:CDE 49:=5[ x C62=:K65 E96 >62?:?8 @7 E96 H@C5 “=@G6]” %@ >6[ :E :D F?D6=7:D9 2?5 36?6G@=6?E 4@?46C? 7@C E96 8@@5 @7 2?@E96C] |J 6IA64E2E:@? :D E92E 2== A2C6?ED H@F=5 766= E9:D H2J E@H2C5 E96:C 49:=5C6?] %96 C62=:EJ :D E92E =@G6 :D ?@E 567:?65 :? E96 D2>6 H2J 7@C 2== A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm%9@D6 @7 FD H9@ F?56CDE2?5 F?D6=7:D9 56G@E:@? >FDE DE2?5 8F2C5 7@C E96 AC@E64E:@? @7 @FC 49:=5C6?’D C6AFE2E:@? 2?5 A9JD:42= D276EJ] (6 >2J ?@E 2=H2JD 36 23=6 E@ AC6G6?E E96> 7C@> >2<:?8 A@@C 564:D:@?D[ 3FE E@ 5@ ?@E9:?8 :D 4@>A2C23=6 E@ 2==@H:?8 <:5D E@ A=2J @? 2 7@FC\=2?6 9:89H2J] xE ;FDE 5@6D?’E >2<6 D6?D6]k^Am
kAm!2C6?E2= 4@?EC@= @7 46== A9@?6D 2?5 A2C6?E2= 4@?EC@= @7 7C:6?5Di &D6 E96> H:D6=J 2?5 FD6 E96> @7E6?]k^Am
kAm k^Am
