Understanding and Addressing the Rise of Sextortion Among Young People 

For #SHW24 we’re exploring the links between mental health and sexual health. In this blog, Eloise Brame, Brook’s Senior Safeguarding Coordinator, explains the worrying rise in sextortion and what professionals working with young people can do to spot the warning signs and how to support those who have experienced this. 

According to a recent alert from the National Crime Agency (NCA), there has been a marked increase in sextortion crimes. 

Sextortion is a form of blackmail in which perpetrators use sexually explicit material, often obtained through coercion or deception, to threaten victims into sending them money. Perpetrators often pose as friends or romantic interests, engaging in conversation before requesting images or videos. Once they have explicit material, they issue threats to release it unless their demands are met. 

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) also highlights a significant spike in sextortion cases involving young people, with a 19% rise in the first 6 months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Criminal networks, often operating internationally, have increasingly targeted children as young as 11 years old. 

The primary targets are typically children and young adults who are active on social media, messaging apps, or online gaming platforms. 91% percent of people referred to the IWF for having experienced sextortion identified as male, with a large proportion aged between 14 and 18 years old, although all age groups and genders are being targeted. In fact, there has been a 2,600% increase in reports involving females. 

According to the NCA, sextortion gangs now focus heavily on financially motivated attacks. Victims are told that unless they pay a ransom—or sometimes gift cards —the explicit material will be shared with family, friends, or posted online. 

Parents, professionals working closely with young people, educators and safeguarding teams are in a crucial position to help prevent sextortion and offer support to those affected.

It’s essential that we know how to recognise the warning signs, and how to provide support to victims. 

As Brook’s Senior Safeguarding Coordinator, I wanted to share some ways we can work to prevent this worrying rise in sextortion: 

1. Educating and Raising Awareness  

Teachers can play a pivotal role by ensuring that students understand the risks associated with online behaviour. Deliver age-appropriate digital literacy lessons that include topics like: 

• The importance of privacy and not sharing personal information online. 
• Recognising grooming tactics used by predators. 
• Understanding what to do if approached by someone seeking explicit content. 

2. Recognising Warning Signs 

It’s essential to remain vigilant for signs that a young person may be experiencing sextortion. Some of the key indicators include: 

• Withdrawal from social interactions or school activities. 
• Changes in mood, anxiety, or depression, especially linked to online activity. 
• Secretive behaviour around phone or computer use. 
• Sudden requests for money or unexplained financial transactions. 

3. Creating a Safe Environment 

Ensure that children and young people feel they can come forward if they’ve been targeted without fear of judgment or punishment.

The fear of consequences often makes it even harder for children to speak up. 

Provide information about sex and relationships. Its normal for young people to experiment with their sexual feelings online, but it’s important they understand how to stay safe. Child Exploitation Online Protection (CEOP), Childline and our website has information on healthy relationships, communication and image sharing. 

What To Do if You or Someone You Know is a Victim of Sextortion 

The NCA says:  

• ‘Don’t pay, do stop contact and block: You may be tempted to pay, but there is no guarantee that this will stop the threats. As the offender’s motive is to get money, once you have shown you can pay, they will likely ask for more and blackmail may continue. If you have paid, don’t panic but don’t pay anything more. Help the victim to stop all communication with the offender and block them on any accounts that they have been contacted on. 
• Avoid deleting anything: Try not to delete anything that could be used as evidence such as messages, images, telephone numbers, and bank account details. 
• Report to the police or CEOP: Call 101 or 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm. Or you can use the CEOP Safety Centre to report any online blackmail attempts.

Adults can also support young people in getting their images removed using Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation’s Report Remove tool, and reporting to the platform or app it has been shared on.  

Keeping people safe is Brook’s top priority, and we understand the importance of providing a caring, compassionate and trauma-informed approach to this.

Threats of sextortion can be extremely distressing and draining on a young person’s mental health. 

By creating a safe environment, we ensure that our service user-led practices are effective and supportive. Professional curiosity and appropriate information sharing are essential in understanding the full scope of each case, allowing for collaboration and effective multi-agency working.  

Throughout the safeguarding journey, it is crucial to conduct thorough assessments of risk and maintain safeguarding practices that are considerate, sensitive, and focused on the individual. By doing so, we can ensure that young people are effectively included and consulted, providing them with the support they need to navigate these challenges.