Site icon The Australia Today

Do you know how to protect your children from online sextortion?

Representative image: Sextortion (Source: CANVA)

The AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) is highlighting the warning signs of sextortion before school returns, to help parents and carers protect young people from the threat online.

Sextortion is a form of online blackmail where offenders trick or coerce someone into sending sexual images of themselves, before threatening to share the images unless their demands are met. These demands could be for money, more graphic content or sexual favours.

The most recent data from the ACCCE shows around 300 reports of sextortion targeting children each month.

AFP Commander Human Exploitation Helen Schneider said there were tell-tale signs of sextortion, which every parent and carer needed to know.

“Some warning signs include incoming friend requests from strangers or people pretending to be friends with your child, sudden sexualised questions, conversations, or photos from a random profile, who then ask for some in return.”

Warning signs for parents and carers:

Commander Schneider said there were serious safety and wellbeing concerns for children who were caught up in sextortion, with suicide and self-harm risks attributed to this offending both overseas and in Australia.

“We want parents and carers to be alert to the signs, report and seek help and guidance if they have been targeted by offenders. If your child is or has been a victim, it is important to stay calm and reassure them that it’s not their fault and that there is help available.”

If you know someone that has become a victim of sextortion, here is what to do:

The AFP-led ThinkUKnow program has developed a resource to help the community identify sextortion and how to get help. The Online blackmail and sexual extortion response kit aimed at young people aged 13 -17 is available from the ThinkUKnow and ACCCE websites.

The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse, and the ACCCE is driving a collaborative national approach to combatting child abuse.

If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, support services are available at www.accce.gov.au/support.

Support Our Journalism

Global Indian Diaspora needs fair, non-hyphenated, and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. The Australia Today – with exceptional reporters, columnists, and editors – is doing just that. Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, or India you can take a paid subscription by clicking Patreon. Buy an annual ‘The Australia Today Membership’ to support independent journalism and get special benefits.

Exit mobile version