Regardless of the actual percentage of teens who text, there's no question that at least some teens are doing so, and that the consequences can be severe. Two recent articles out of New York help illustrate the risks for exhibitionist teens.

According to the New York Post, a Bensonhurst, Brooklyn junior high school had the dubious honor of having the highest number of sexting-related suspensions during the 2010-2011 school year.

Records maintained by the New York Department of Education (which started keeping tabs on sexting offenses in June 2010) reveal that 32 kids at the Edward B. Shallow Junior High School were suspended last year for sext-related activity.

As legal experts point out, a school has limited ability to regulate behavior that takes place entirely off-campus, unless school officials discover sexting images or the activity interferes with the educational environment of the school.

What parents need to remember, however, is that in most states, sexting is still a violation of state and federal law. Three hundred and twenty miles northwest of Brooklyn, in Palmyra, NY, two teens are facing criminal charges for a sexting incident.

The Lebanon Daily News reports that an unnamed 17-year-old female is being charged with "open lewdness" for sending explicit photos to a 15-year-old boy. The male, who showed the photos to classmates at Palmyra Area High School, has been charged with "disorderly conduct."

Both are relatively minor charges and carry far lower penalties than for the production and distribution of child pornography.