Empowering youth to combat sextortion

As the new school year picks up, it's important to be aware of the rapidly developing online world in which your children and students are active. Social media and online games are an inherent part of youth’s everyday routines, as they are the outlets to which younger generations turn for social life. These comfort mechanisms activate the brain’s reward system and release dopamine, causing feelings of pleasure and happiness. They offer opportunities for pursuing interests, learning, and expanding one’s social circle – all important parts of youth development. While they have their benefits, it is vital to educate the youth in your life about the risks in a way that resonates with them.

One of the most prevalent crimes affecting youth is sextortion, a type of online exploitation that especially targets those aged 14-24. It is a form of blackmail in which perpetrators manipulate victims into streaming or sending explicit content of themselves. The perpetrators pretend to be someone they’re not, often posing as peers and sometimes sending photos first to gain trust. Their demands quickly escalate with requests to send more sexual content or money if they don’t want their images to be leaked.

It is important to recognize that for youth in an exploitative situation, it is not as easy as saying “no”. To imply that they wouldn’t have suffered if they had just refused in the first place is a harmful stigma that feeds into the culture of victim-blaming. One can not believe for certain that they would have not been deceived, because no one can understand what it is truly like except for the person that experienced it. Perpetrators of sextortion use realistic social media accounts and various strategies that prey on youth vulnerability. It may seem straightforward to know what it is, but to be on the receiving end of this crime is another thing entirely.

This is why it is essential to educate youth beyond the concept of ‘stranger danger’. It does not bode well with adolescents to tell them not to do ‘this and that’ online. Simply teaching youth that strangers are potentially dangerous overlooks the fact that these offenders may not seem like strangers to them at all. Instead, equip them with knowledge so they can make informed choices for themselves. Ensure they understand signs of manipulative behaviour and teach them how to extricate themselves from inappropriate situations and relationships.

Moreover, it may be useful to help them understand how to protect themselves if they decide to send explicit photos to someone. It is not about encouraging youth to partake in these interactions, but rather helping them mitigate risk particularly around situations that you as a caretaker can not control. Teach youth that if they choose to send intimate content, to avoid including their face and identifiable body features. Turn off location services and use auto-deletion settings.

If they do find themselves victim to sextortion, they should not give into what the offender demands, as it may escalate the situation. It is important to screenshot all conversations and the sextorter’s social media account for evidence. You can anonymously report the sextortion to Cybertip.ca and/or the local police, and it is imperative that you emphasize to youth that they will not be in trouble with or be blamed by law enforcement. Reporting the incident will help make it stop, and potentially stop the offender from hurting anyone else. If the explicit content is leaked, you can report it to Need Help Now to try to remove and stop its spread. Additionally, if people you know see the explicit content, you can claim that it is an A.I. deepfake, as artificial intelligence has developed to the point of being capable of making videos with your face and voice.

Ultimately, when it comes to digital safety, it is mostly young girls that are warned about the dangers of sending intimate pictures. Society is conditioned to view women as victims to male predators, and we are thus inclined to focus on educating girls how to protect themselves. However, according to Cybertip.ca, 90% of the victims of sextortion reports were males. Young boys are often victims of financial sextortion, in which perpetrators that may pose as girls threaten for money after capturing the intimate photos. Thus, it is imperative that as educators and guardians, you teach and emphasize these prevention measures not only to young girls, but to all youth regardless of gender. Empathy and education are the first steps to combating the sexual exploitation of children. To learn more, test your knowledge with this interactive quiz.