Sexting, Cyberbullying & AI: The New Law Protecting Massachusetts Youth

Tuesday, November 18 at Noon | Free Virtual Lunch & Learn Event

In 2024, Massachusetts enacted An Act to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation—a groundbreaking new law addressing youth sexting, cyberbullying, and the misuse of sexually explicit images, including those created with artificial intelligence (“deepfakes”).

This important program, presented by the Children’s Justice Unit of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, will introduce the Youth Diversion Program (YDP)—a new statewide educational initiative that takes an educational rather than punitive approach to youth misconduct involving explicit digital content. The Attorney General's Office will also speak about its efforts to combat hate, identity-based bullying, and cyberbullying more broadly.

Participants will learn:

• What the new law says and how it protects young people;
• How the Youth Diversion Program works to educate youth, families, and schools;
• The real-world risks and harms associated with sexting, deepfakes, and online sexual harassment;
• How families and communities can respond with understanding, accountability, and support

This session will also explore the emotional, social, and legal dimensions of these behaviors—recognizing that young people who cause harm may also be experiencing harm themselves. The program emphasizes helping youth take responsibility, make safer choices, and build empathy and digital awareness in an age of rapid technological change.

Presented by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, in collaboration with the MetroWest Anti-Bullying Coalition.

To register for this event and receive the Zoom link, please email info@sparkkindness.org.