If you are a parent today and are raising a Gen Z or millennial you have to be a digital savvy parent. This is how you can stay relevant and know what is going on in the life of teenagers. Have you heard about sextortion? It is a worrisome trend that is making the rounds online. Below is what you need to know about Sextortion.
What is sextortion?
It is a type of online blackmail where people can be tricked into performing sexual acts on webcams or sharing intimate photos of themselves and then blackmailed to pay a sum of money to avoid the images or videos being shared with friends and family.
Typically, the perpetrator has or pretends to have some compromising images or videos of the victim. They threaten to publish them online or share them with friends, family members, or colleagues if the victim doesn’t provide more material, engage in sexual acts, or hand over money.
Aside from the psychological and sometimes physical damage it causes, a significant problem with this crime is that many cases go unreported because victims are too embarrassed. According to reports, since 2011, at least five young men in the UK were victims of sextortion and committed suicide as a result (three of these were young people, and two were in the last two years).
How does sextortion work?
Offenders will attempt to befriend victims online by using a fake identity (often a young woman). They may send lots of ‘friend requests’ hoping that someone will engage with them if they have mutual friends. They chat with the victim and then ask to speak on camera.
Offenders put huge pressure on victims by demanding payment within a short time period, for example, within one hour, which can make the situation very intense and time-critical. Those who have been tricked often believe that if they pay the sum of the money, the situation will go away, but this is usually not the case.
Where does it happen and who do they target?
Financial extortion of this kind can happen on any site with a video function. Offenders do not target people because they know them. They reach out to many people and target anyone who falls victim, anyone who they manage to trick into sexual activity, regardless of age or gender.
If the initial payment is not made, and the victim walks away, offenders often disengage as their motive is financial and not sexual. However, it is important to note that offenders with a specific sexual interest in children are likely to continue to seek contact with a child online.
What should parents do?
Communicate with your child
Talk to your children as much as you can about activities online. As parents, regularly ask your child about what they view online and how they feel. It is important to emphasize that they should avoid getting naked on camera or sending an intimate photo.
Talk to them about what they would do if someone blackmailed them. Young children may not understand the concept of blackmail. Try to explain that some people may try to trick them into doing things online to get money from them. Help them understand that with any form of blackmail, the best thing to do is walk away and seek help.
Let your child know that they can always come to you for help.
Responding to blackmail
Please speak to your child about how to manage any money they have. Though blackmail can be scary, paying someone to prevent something terrible from happening is not advisable. In many cases, the blackmail continues after money is paid.
If your child is being blackmailed, contact the police. Help your child disable their social media temporarily so the offender cannot contact them. And if you are worried about online financial extortion, there is support available. You or your child can report to CEOP using an online form.
Also, if anyone shares a video or image of your child, report it to the platform because it can be blocked. It is also possible to block or report any users who are blackmailing or threatening you.
Raising children with digital resilience in the face of abuse online is a critical requirement for every parent. Share on X
What makes one teenager reach out for help, and what makes another one not? We might never know exactly. However, it is very unfortunate for any parent to lose a child over intimate images and a case of sextortion. As with the recent care of the Ogoshi brothers, they have been jailed for running a sextortion scam, which led to a 17-year-old taking his life. Read more about the story here
Read also here how a victim with learning disabilities spoke out about his sextortion.
Parents should normalize discussing what happens in the online world. These conversations should start early and often. While you cannot think like scammers, it is essential to recognise that it is simply a numbers game for them and that they will take advantage of people and teenagers they can manipulate. According to the BBC, there are rings online dedicated to this disturbing trade. Watch this video here that goes behind the scenes into the minds of scammers.
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Read Also:
How to Navigate Social Media with Your Child
The Difference Between Healthy and Harmful Sexual Behaviour
Child Sexual Abuse – Who is to Blame
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