You write it sextortionit is read sexual blackmail. A growing phenomenon among minors, according to the first surveys of the State Police, which in recent months has recorded a “dizzying” increase in cases against adolescents through social networks.
The phenomenon
In recent months, cases of sextortion to the detriment of adolescents through social networks. I am already over a hundred the reports received by the State Police that involved minors, mostly between the ages of 15 and 17, and even younger ones. It is a phenomenon, usually aimed at the adult world, with an enormous potential for danger because today it affects underage victims, as fragile as they are inexperienced. More and more often the The boys’ sexual curiosity transports them into a nightmare made up of blackmail, insistent requests for money and threats to destroy its reputation by spreading sexual images obtained through live chat on social networks.
It all starts with some chats with social profiles of kind and handsome girls and boys, appreciation and likes for the photos posted. We then move on to video chats and requests are made more and more pushed. In the following days, the online hammering includes the request for even small amounts of money, with the threat that, in the event of non-payment, the sexual material will be spread among all contacts, friends and relatives. The victims, trapped between the shame and fear that they have intimate images can be seen by their contacts, they tend to keep everything to themselves, not to confide in anyone, especially their parents. For this reason the phenomenon is underestimated, because the complaint requires the children to disclose their parents, which at times appears more painful than the threats of extortion.
The advice of the investigators
Here are the tips of the Police post: never give in to blackmail by paying the sums requested. They will not stop asking for money if you pay, but on the contrary they will understand that you have economic availability and will become more insistent; don’t feel ashamed for sharing intimate images with strangers.
At that age one is curious and inexperienced and often the people who do these things are organized criminals who know the frailties of children; do not delete messages exchanged with extortionists, do not close the social profiles on which they are contacted, but take screen shots of conversations and threats and of the extortionist’s profile; make a report on our portal www.commissariatodips.it to ask for help, alone it is more difficult to solve this type of problem; talk about it with parents or a trusted adult, who will know how to help manage the situation; those over the age of 14 can file a complaint, even independently, in any police office.
In addition, the Postal Police advises parents: the sextortion it is a phenomenon that is affecting an exponential number of young people on the net. These are adults and / or criminal organizations that approach teens online, push them into virtual sexual conversations, acquire intimate images and videos, and then they require sums of money to avoid publication online of private material.
Shame and a sense of panic
If something similar happens to your children: we must not judge their behavior as irresponsible, but consider that the shame and the sense of panic they may feel put them at risk of carrying out impulsive acts; to listen what the children tell, calmly acquire all the information and reassure them that they are not the only ones to have encountered this type of situation; get the screen shot conversations with extortionists and go as soon as possible to a police office for make a complaint: timeliness in these cases is essential to better resolve investigations; do not delete images, videos and do not close social profiles before providing this information to the Police; make a report on www.commissariatodips.it and ask for information and support if needed.