Sextortion: Everything Parents Should Know To Protect Teens and Children

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported in 2021 that they recorded more than 16,000 complaints of sextortion in the first seven months of the year. According to the report, some more possible victims are too ashamed to come forward, adding that while the online world can bring convenience to our lives, it can also expose children and teenagers to dangers their parents never experienced when they were young.

Sextortion is a form of blackmail where the threat actor tricks the victim into sharing sexually explicit photos or videos of themselves and then threatens to release them by posting them online or sending the sensitive photo to other people unless the victim pays a big amount or agrees to send more sexually explicit photos or videos, per We Live Security.

Data shows that the incidents like sextortion increased as the pandemic began. At least 2.3 percent of women admitted they experienced sextortion since the beginning of the pandemic, while under 5 percent of men reported such. Dr. Asia Eaton​ from Florida International University explained that men appeared to be victims of sextortion more than women during the pandemic as they had more time to spend online than women.

FBI warns to report suspicious behaviors

According to Missing Kids, 8 percent of the sextortion reports involved female children, while 15 percent involved male children. Both genders ranged in age from 8-17 and had an average age of 15. Some 24 percent of the individuals who reported the case mentioned they suspected additional children that the same offender targeted.

Sameer Hinduja, Cyberbullying Research Center co-director, said the crime is not only limited to those mentioned above but can also exist in grooming or a stranger pretending to be close to the targeted child, and eventually, the perpetrator may share an intimate photo and ask for one in exchange. Once the victim sends the photo, it will now be handed over to the man who would threaten and proceeds with the sextortion, Connect Safely reported.

FBI Baltimore posted a tweet on Twitter to remind individuals to say no to sending compromising photos and immediately report suspicious behaviors.

Discussing the matter with the children and teens

Parents must not be scared to discuss sextortion and other crimes with their children as the crime itself does not choose the victim regardless of gender. Therefore, children, including teens, must be well-educated regarding the issue to prevent experiencing such.

Parents and guardians must stay cautious online and be aware of the child's shared photos and other private content. Also, remind your children to set their social media accounts to private and to never send any photos or videos to someone they have not met in real life.

If the children are well-informed regarding the topic, they will also know the consequences of their actions to avoid it. Also, a parent's love and reminder would be the child's first defense against such dangers raised in a technologically advanced world, Institute for Family Studies says.