Understanding Sextortion: Protecting Yourself and Your Loved Ones
In recent years, the rise of technology has brought about countless benefits, connecting people across the globe in ways unimaginable before. Unquestionably, the rapid advancement in technology could not guarantee the absence of new threats, having online sextortion as the most alarming one among them. This insidious form of blackmail preys on individuals' intimate moments, exploiting their vulnerabilities for malicious gain.
What is Sextortion?
Sexual extortion happens when someone is coerced by the perpetrator to send sexual images or videos and trick them into thinking they will not be shared publicly. These pictures and videos are then used as the background upon which they’ll be blackmailing the victim for money or even sexual favors. The abusers will sometimes bully the victim to publish embarrassing photos or information to the public or to friends and family of the victim if their wishes are not fulfilled.
1Such is the case of Murray Dowey, 16, from Dunblane who was contacted on social media by someone claiming to be a young girl but was actually a scammer, who tricked him into sending an intimate image and then blackmailed him with it. Murray took his own life on December 30, 2023, just hours after he was blackmailed by a scammer.
Understanding the Tactics
As a part of their strategy, sextortionists apply a number of different tools to trick and intimidate their victims.These may include:
Building Trust: The criminals often pretend to be loving partners or acquaintances and those who are the target trust them and then they keep on exploiting the victims.
Coercion: The tactics of exploitation are defilement by threats of unmasking or intimidation, thus achieving the required aims and instilling terror and guilt.
Manipulation: Unfortunately, psychological pressure methods, for instance, accusation or dealing with schemes, is one of the techniques that abusers usually apply to the victims in order to boost their power and keep the victims under their control.
Exploiting Vulnerabilities: Sextortionists normally look for individuals that are emotionally vulnerable as a result of their age, resilience or the situation they are going through and therefore mind manipulating it.
Young Creator's Measures Against Online Exploitation
The Young Creator App is designed to empower parents to protect their children online. Features such as parental controls, age-specific content filters and real-time monitoring enable parents to maintain their children’s security as they discover the digital space. Through the provision of parents with a comprehensive control over a child's online interactions and content consumption, The Young Creator App helps decrease the chances of sextortion and other online threats.
With The Young Creator App You Can:
Be Vigilant: Stay informed about your child's online activities and monitor their digital interactions.
Set Boundaries: You can establish limits for your child's online interactions.
Know Who Your Child Is Interacting With: You have full control of your child's social circle, allowing you to approve and monitor their interactions with other users.
See What Your Child Is Posting: You stay informed about your child's online activities by monitoring the content they post on social media platforms.
Check What Your Child Is Seeing: You have the ability to monitor the content your child is exposed to online.
2The National Crime Agency UK has noted that there has been an increase in reporting of young people and adults being forced into paying money or meeting another financial demand (such as purchasing a prepaid gift card) after an offender has threatened to release sexual/indecent images of them. Therefore, we, parents, guardians and caretakers, are on the frontline in shielding our children from the threats related to sextortion. Using platforms like the Young Creator App can prevent our children from being exploited by online predators. This app, with its well-thought-out features like parental control and activity monitoring can be an essential instrument in keeping our children safe online. Visit www.youngcreator.net for more information about the Young Creator App.
Young Creator Team
Keeping Our Kids Safe Online
