Sextortion and Sexting: What Does it all Mean?

Golden Bay High School was recently in the media for a sextortion and sexting incident at the school. The incident resulted in police involvement and the temporary suspension of the students who forwarded the content to other students.

The school said the incident occurred outside class hours and off its property, raising issues for parents and teachers.

Sexting is the act of taking a nude or semi nude photo of one’s self and sending it electronically to another.

“What is often not considered is that any naked image where the person is under the age of 16 is classed as child pornography.”

Statistics show that around 17% of students, mainly females, are involved in this activity for reasons often being to ‘surprise’ their boyfriend.

Unfortunately, around 35% of boys claim they send such pics onto their mates, who in turn, send on to their mates. The end result is that the majority of a school community may be in possession of such content, resulting in embarrassment and bullying tactics for the victim.

What is often not considered is that any naked image where the person is under the age of 16 is classed as child pornography.

Worrying information coming out of the US shows there is an emerging trend hitting the spotlight known as ‘Sextortion’.

Sextortion is when an online sex predator blackmails another person, typically a tween boy or girl, into performing sex acts for them via webcam. The blackmail stems from a nude photo or video of the victim that the predator already has in his/her possession. If the victim tries to get away from the predator’s demands, they are threatened with mass distribution of the original photos/videos to the victim’s family members and friends.

To learn more on this topic watch this video courtesy of Fox News HERE.

Top 5 Tips for Parents

1.      Start discussing internet behaviour from a young age. Help your kids understand that the internet is part of today’s real life and that it is an electronic extension of our daily world. Help them understand that what they do or say on the internet is there forever and can have real consequences on their life.Help them understand the real dangers of posting suggestive images of themselves online.

2.      Ensure antivirus software is up to date. Malware, or malicious software can have the      potential to remotely control webcams and send images back to the infector in stealth mode.  Try searching for ‘anti-malware products’ as well. There are some great free products to help keep your computer free from malware.

3.      Use parental control software.  For minimal outlay you will be able to block, monitor, record, capture and report on all activity YOU decide. The software is even able to restrict internet access times. Simple to install and use, the software allows parents more time by doing the job you want it to, 24/7.

4.      Read several internet safety blogs. I recommend our blog at www.websafety.co.nz/articles and also YoursphereForParents.com, and iLookBothWays.com

5.      NEVER allow computers to be used in the bedroom. This applies to all electronic devices, as they all have cameras and are all computers, including smart phones and tablets.

Lastly, the effects on sexting are lasting. It destroys reputations, encourages bullying and leads to anxiety, depression and in worst cases children have taken their own lives.