This is not the first time that parents have been warned of the dangers of teenage texting codes. Photo / 123RF
For parents who might not have grown up with mobiles, it can be tough to keep track of teenage texting codes.
Now, a parental protection software firm Bark has created a helpful graphic to assist parents in decoding online slang.
Phrases that parents should be aware of include 'GNOC', 'WTTP' and 'PAL'.
While these codes may seem harmless, they actually mean 'get naked on camera', 'want to trade pictures' and 'parents are listening'.
'Text lingo practically changes weekly and a lot of the time, parents have no clue what their kids and their friends are saying,' Titania Jordan, chief parent officer of Bark, which monitors potential hazards on kids' mobile phones and alerts parents, told Country104.
'I'm surprised at how many parents still don't know what "Netflix and chill" means,' she added. For those who don't, it basically means sex.
Surveillance software has become more popular among parents trying to keep an eye on their children's online activities.
Bark, like similar programmes, claims to be able to decipher when children are joking around and when they are being serious.
'If it's a high school girl who's tripped and fallen in the hallway in front of her crush, and she texts her friend, "KMS" [kill myself], the software will recognise that she's joking and won't alert her parents that she's on the verge of suicide,' Ms Jordan said.
'But if it detects a kid expressing loneliness or sadness and that acronym pops up, the parents will be alerted.'
This is not the first time that parents have been warned of the dangers of teenage texting codes.
Earlier this year, England's Humberside Police issued parents with a 'sexting dictionary' of code words teenagers use to secretly exchange explicit messages.
Worried officers figured out that teens have a sinister new language as part of KPC (Keeping Parents Clueless).
Police feared many families would not what was going on if they found letters such as WYRN or P911 or LMIRL, MOS, TDTM or IWSN on a kid's phone.
But they really mean What's Your Real Name, Parent Alert, Let's Meet in Real Life, Mum Over Shoulder, Talk Dirty to Me, and I Want Sex Now.
Humberside Police compiled a staggering list of 112 codes that children use while exchanging lewd images and messages.
They also included NIFOC (Nude in Front of Computer) GYPO (Get Your Pants Off) FWB (Friends with Benefits) and KPC (Keeping Parents Clueless).
Ways of warning that mum or dad is around included PAW (Parents are Watching) POS (Parents Over Shoulder) and CD9 (Code 9, meaning parents are around).
Worryingly, many were designed to arrange real life meetings between strangers such as WTPA (Where the Party At?) RU/18 (Are you over 18) RL (Real Life) and ADN (Any Day Now).
Making parents aware of the cryptic messages, which also include drug references, is part of a new purge by the Humberside force on sexting.
A spokesman said: 'We have recently had numerous reports of young people sharing sexual, naked or semi-naked images of themselves, also known as sexting.
'Therefore, we're urging parents to talk to their children about the dangers of sexting as it could lead to embarrassment, blackmail or even a criminal record.'
THE SEXTING LIST
1. 143 - I love you
2. 2DAY - Today
3. 4EAE - For ever and ever
4. ADN - Any day now
5. AFAIK - As far as I know
6. AFK - Away from keyboard
7. ASL - Age/sex/location
8. ATM - At the moment
9. BFN - Bye for now
10. BOL - Be on later
11. BRB - Be right back
12. BTW - By the way
13. CTN - Can't talk now
14. DWBH - Don't worry, be happy
15. F2F or FTF - Face to face
16. FWB - Friends with benefits
17. FYEO - For your eyes only
18. GAL - Get a life
19. GB - Goodbye
20. GLHF - Good luck, have fun
21. GTG - Got to go
22. GYPO - Get your pants off
23. HAK - Hugs and kisses
24. HAND - Have a nice day
25. HTH - Hope this helps / Happy to help
26. HW- Homework
27. IDK - I don't know
28. IIRC - If I remember correctly
29. IKR - I know, right?
30. ILY / ILU - I love you
31. IM - Instant message
32. IMHO - In my honest opinion / In my humble opinion
33. IMO - In my opinion
34. IRL- In real life
35. IWSN - I want sex now
36. IU2U - It's up to you
37. IYKWIM - If you know what I mean
38. J/K - Just kidding
39. J4F - Just for fun
40. JIC- Just in case
41. JSYK - Just so you know
42. KFY - Kiss for you
43. KPC - Keeping parents clueless
44. L8 - Late
45. LMBO - Laughing my butt off
46. LMIRL - Let's meet in real life
47. LMK - Let me know
48. LOL - Laugh out loud
49. LSR - Loser
50. MIRL - Meet in real life
51. MOS - Mom over shoulder
52. NAGI- Not a good idea
53. NIFOC - Nude in front of computer
54. NM - Never mind
55. NMU - Not much, you?
56. NP - No problem
57. NTS - Note to self
58. OIC - Oh I see
59. OMG - Oh my God
60. ORLY - Oh, really?
61. OT- Off topic
62. OTP - On the phone
63. P911 - Parent alert
64. PAW - Parents are watching
65. PCM - Please call me
66. PIR - Parent in room
67. PLS or PLZ- Please
68. PPL - People
69. POS - Parents over shoulder
70. PTB - Please text back
71. QQ - Crying. This abbreviation produces an emoticon in text. It's often used sarcastically.
72. RAK - Random act of kindness
73. RL - Real life
74. ROFL - Rolling on the floor laughing
75. RT - Retweet
76. RUOK - Are you OK?
77. SMH - Shaking my head
78. SOS - Someone over shoulder
79. SRSLY - Seriously
80. SSDD - Same stuff, different day
81. SWAK - Sealed with a kiss
82. SWYP - So, what's your problem?
83. SYS - See you soon
84. TBC - To be continued
85. TDTM - Talk dirty to me
86. TIME - Tears in my eyes
87. WYCM - Will you call me?
88. TMI- Too much information
89. TMRW - Tomorrow
90. TTYL- Talk to you later
91. TY or TU- Thank you
92. VSF - Very sad face
93. WB - Welcome back
94. WTH - What the heck?
95. WTPA - Where the party at?
96. WYCM - Will you call me?
97. YGM - You've got mail
98. YOLO - You only live once
99. YW - You're welcome
100. ZOMG - Oh my God (sarcastic)
101. 182 - I hate you
102. 420 - Marijuana
103. ADR - Address
104. CD9 - Code 9 - it means parents are around
105. ILU - I Love You
106. KOTL - Kiss On The Lips
107. LMIRL - Let's Meet In Real Life
108. NIFOC - Nude In Front Of The Computer
109. P999 - Parent Alert
110. PAL - Parents Are Listening or Peace And Love
111. RU/18 - Are You Over 18?
112. WYRN - What's Your Real Name?
Where to go for help or more information:
• Women's Refuge: Free national crisisline operates 24/7 - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz
• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz
• It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz
• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and their children. Crisisline 24/7 0800 742 584
• Ministry of Justice: www.justice.govt.nz/family-justice/domestic-violence
• National Network of Stopping Violence: www.nnsvs.org.nz
• White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women, focusing this year on sexual violence and the issue of consent. www.whiteribbon.org.nz