With the rate of teen suicides on the rise, especially in the last year, Calgary Police is partnering with other authorities to raise awareness of the dangers of ‘sexting’.

Police are working together with teachers, counselors, nurses, and doctors to help teenagers who are managing with the after effects of such situations.

CPS has investigated more than a dozen cases of teens involved in ‘sexting’ since the beginning of the year but they say there are likely many more.

“These cases are often complex investigations, however many of them are less about the ability to charge someone with a criminal offense, and more about education, prevention and providing the right resources for victims,” says Acting Inspector Mike Bossley in a release.

The CBE says that parents and students are able to access support through their schools when issues related to digital safety arise.

Learning about Internet safety is also a regular part of the school curriculum and includes safe practices on social media tools and other digital devices such as smart phones.

"At the Calgary Board of Education, we are committed to working with students, parents, our partners, including police, to address the complex issues around this community problem," says Nancy Lukey, System Principal, Learning Services with the Calgary Board of Education.

Parents are asked to help keep an eye on their children’s activities when they are out of school in the summer and seek help if they suspect anything is wrong.

Debbie Molloy, with the Alberta Health Services, says that many youth are unable to see the long-term dangers of ‘sexting’. “Even if these ‘sexts’ are deleted, you never know where sexually explicit messages, images, or video will end up. This can emotionally impact young people now, as well as later in life.”

Anyone involved in a “sexting” incident is encouraged to call the non-emergency police number 403-266-1234 to report it, or report it anonymously through cybertip.ca.

A step-by-step guide for teens or their parents on how to get through a self-peer exploitation incident can be found at NeedHelpNow.ca.