By Kerry Gallagher
According to new research on sextortion from Thorn, 1 in 5 kids ages 13-17 have already experienced it. Sextortion is threatening to expose sexual images of someone if they don’t yield to demands. Often this takes the form of financial sextortion.
Parents who want to prevent their children and teens from experiencing sextortion can build their awareness of how extortion unfolds in a 5 step process:
- Making Contact: Most sextortion starts online. Teens are often contacted through social media (like Snapchat or Discord) or messaging apps. If money is involved, payment apps, gift cards, or crypto are usually requested.
- Getting Images: Many teens say they were pressured into sharing explicit images—believing it was part of a relationship or due to manipulation. Some were promised money or other rewards.
- Making Demands: After getting an image, extortionists often demand more—like additional photos, meeting in person or online, or staying in a relationship. Some ask for money.
- Issuing Threats: Threats usually involve sharing the images or personal details. Some also include threats of violence or getting the teen in trouble with family or school.
- Following Through: While most threats aren’t carried out, about 1 in 6 victims reported that their images or info were actually shared.
When kids and teens are aware of the steps in this process, they are more likely to recognize when it happens. Thorn emphasizes, “It’s important to keep in mind that someone does not need to share an intimate image in order to experience sexual extortion. Generative AI technologies are being used to create convincing explicit imagery, which is leading to increasing instances of abuse. It’s vital we equip young people to recognize the risks. Not only to enable them to protect themselves from being targeted – and how to respond should that happen – but to reassure them that they are not to blame and support is available.”