Online sextortion: the risks for children and adolescents

News pieces published by UNICEF addressed the issue of sextortion and the risks it can pose for children and adolescents. A photo or video shared in confidence can end up being used to threaten or pressure the person who sent it. Moreover, with new technologies, a person no longer needs to have shared an intimate image for someone to be able to use it against them.

How can sextortion happen?

Sexting, according to Michael Seto, consists of sharing sexual content such as conversations or nude or semi-nude images. This can end in sextortion when the person who receives the image uses it to pressure or threaten the person who sent it and get them to do certain things.

Sometimes sextortion involves strangers, since hackers and scammers resort to it for financial gain. But it does not always happen with strangers: many cases occur between people who already know each other.

When AI also comes into play

Nowadays, with the use of AI increasingly widespread, it is possible to “undress images,” so threats can also be made even if the person has never shared nude photos. These tools also make it possible to create realistic images and videos.

Sextortion affects young people emotionally and can make them lose the sense of security they had before. Shame, anger and fear can often lead them to prefer not to tell anyone what is happening to them. They may even come to believe that, for it all to end, they have to comply with the other person’s demands. But these demands do not always stop there; they can keep escalating and lead to situations of great desperation. In some cases they can lead adolescents to self-harm or take their own lives out of shame, humiliation, fear or desperation.

Talking about what is happening also helps

When a situation of this kind occurs, it is important that sons and daughters are able to talk to adults and tell them what is happening to them. It is also necessary to create spaces where young people feel comfortable sharing what is happening to them and expressing their concerns. It is also important to listen to them without judging, so that the shame they feel does not grow and they know they can ask for help.

Talking about cell phone use also means talking about the risks that may arise. Although young people may use their devices innocently, there are people who can take advantage of that trust to ask for images and videos and then extort them. It is also necessary to talk about what belongs to private life and what can be exposed, and about the risks of sending images that remain on the internet and are very hard to delete once the “send” button has been pressed.

Dr. Michael Seto explained that if a parent notices that their son or daughter is being extorted, they should offer them all possible support and let them know they can share what happened in order to find a solution. If the extortion comes from a stranger, the advice may be to block that person and strengthen security measures. If it is someone they know, the situation may be more complicated, since blocking them does not necessarily mean they will stop having contact with the young person.

Dr. Seto also highlights the importance of adolescents having the freedom to share what is happening to them so that adults can help them.

It is very difficult to destroy digital files, because endless copies of them can be made. However, there is a service called Take It Down that can help remove images or videos from the internet. It is free and anonymous, and it is not necessary to share the image in question.

It does not matter so much which app or platform is used, because new ones can always appear. What matters is building a relationship of trust that allows young people to recognize the intentions of internet users and to know whom to turn to when something makes them uncomfortable or worries them

Sextortion can cause fear, shame and desperation, but talking about what is happening can be the first step toward asking for help. Adolescents need to know that they can turn to their families and share what is happening to them without fear of being judged or blamed.

Apps and platforms may change, but dialogue and trust remain essential. Listening to young people, supporting them and talking with them about the risks of the internet can help prevent these situations. Above all, it can help them understand that they do not have to face what is happening to them alone.