Journal Article Review: Sextortion of Young People

WCF Clinical Team

Content warning for this review; look after yourselves, & if you're not feeling you're in the right headspace for some of the content, please reach out.

After noticing some themes around the types of struggles our young people have been experiencing lately, the team decided to do some research into 'Sextortion'. 

Sexual extortion, also referred to as ‘sextortion’, is typically a technology facilitated abuse, in which an individual blackmails/threatens to distribute sexually explicit material of another person, to coerce the victim into complying with certain demands.

The team look at one study in particular that examined the prevalence and nature of sexual extortion among adolescents in Australia, and for example, this research uncovered that 27% of young people had experienced sexual extortion in the past 12 months, and 64% experienced this from a person they had met online but never in person. 

There are more of these statistics within the article review, in addition to an exploration of the impact on young people, the barriers to disclosure, and some tips for supporting young people.

Practice Tip: Resources

Beacon App

The Kids Research Institute Australia and Dolly's Dream co-developed ‘Beacon’ - a cyber safety educational app, designed to keep parents and carers up-

to-date with trusted, tailored information, to help keep their kids safe online.

Beacon is a one-stop-shop for reliable information about the online world. It arms parents and carers with the knowledge they need to confidently help navigate their children’s digital behaviour and reduce harms we know are associated with being online and on screens.

The Daniel Morcombe Foundation - Adolescent Hub

The Daniel Morcombe Foundation Adolescent Hub is a trusted set of youth-informed resources designed to help young people aged 13–15 recognise online harm, respond safely, and get support. Adolescent Hub includes short videos and practical guidance for young people, parents and carers, and educators to respond to serious online harms, including sextortion and AI-generated image abuse.

ACSC - Report a Cyber Crime

The Australian Cyber Security Centre has developed a website & phone line for reporting cybercrimes. This is a national policing initiative and as the Australian Government's technical authority on cyber security, they are specialised in investigating cybercrimes. You can find more information here: https://www.cyber.gov.au/report-and-recover/report