Happening in Montgomery County: What Is Sextortion? How to Keep Your Teen Safe from Online Predators

It can happen in a matter of minutes, but the trauma can stay with victims forever. Unlike cyberbullying, which most parents know about and discuss with their teens, sextortion isn’t on a lot of parents’ radars, leaving kids unguarded and vulnerable to attacks.

According to the FBI, sextortion occurs when one person, using threats or manipulation, coerces another person into sharing sexually explicit images over the Internet or a cell phone. Even if the perpetrator doesn’t do physical harm, teens can still experience emotional and psychological damage. Their images could also find their way onto the Internet and the dark web. Sextortion victims have committed suicide because they were so ashamed of being exposed to their friends and families.

Sextortion is particularly dangerous because many parents don’t realize their child is at risk. But the statistics tell us a different story:

•       According to the FBI, sextortion cases are up 60 percent in the last five years
•       71 percent of all sextortion victims are minors
•       78 percent of sextortion victims are girls, with an average age of 15
•       83 percent of sextortion cases involve social media manipulation
•       1 in 4 minors victimized by sextortion sought medical or mental health care...

https://yourteenmag.com/technology/what-is-sextortion?fbclid=IwAR32pwjPbeLbKqzNIDoR05ogBNUTu57TZmVFFVPI97X9bZeOFxFWydM9pMI