What Is Sextortion? A Parent & Educator Guide

Sextortion is one of the fastest-growing threats facing children and teenagers online today. It is a form of digital blackmail in which someone threatens to share private or intimate images, videos, or even fabricated content of a young person unless they meet certain demands. These demands often include sending more images, paying money, or complying with ongoing manipulation and control.

What makes sextortion especially dangerous is how quickly it can escalate. In many cases, a child believes they are talking to a peer or someone they trust. That trust is then exploited—sometimes within minutes—turning a normal online interaction into a high-pressure and frightening situation.

This is not as rare as many people assume. According to a 2025 study by Thorn, 1 in 5 teens have experienced sextortion, highlighting how widespread the issue has become. Even more concerning is how the threat is evolving. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), offenders can now create realistic fake images—often called deepfakes—using ordinary photos from social media. This means children can be targeted even if they never send a single image.

If you believe your child may be experiencing sextortion right now, it’s important to act quickly and supportively. Go directly to the section below: What to Do Right Now.

Read on to learn more or simply download and share our family tip sheet.

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How We Teach Students About Sextortion

Watch one of our student videos from the Cyber Civics curriculum to see how we teach students about sextortion.

Check out our entire "Digital Health and Wellbeing" Curriculum, it covers sextortion, sexting, revenge porn and more.

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How We Teach Parents
About Sextortion

Check out this recording from one of our Cyberwise Chats to see how we talk to adults about AI.

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Why Teens Are Especially Vulnerable

Adolescence is a time of significant emotional and social development, which can increase vulnerability in online situations.

Desire for connection: Teens are naturally driven to form relationships and seek belonging. This can make them more open to engaging with new people online.
Sensitivity to social validation: Approval, attention, and flattery can strongly influence behavior during this stage.
Fear of rejection or consequences: Teens may comply with requests to avoid conflict, rejection, or getting in trouble.
Developing decision-making skills: The part of the brain responsible for judgment, impulse control, and long-term thinking is still developing.
Exposure to online norms: Social media can normalize behaviors that blur boundaries, making it harder to recognize risky situations.
Shame and silence: Once something goes wrong, embarrassment often prevents teens from asking for help—allowing the situation to escalate.

Warning Signs to Watch For

Sextortion can impact a child’s emotional and behavioral state in noticeable ways.

Parents may observe:

Sudden anxiety, fear, or emotional distress
Withdrawal from family, friends, or usual activities
Increased secrecy around devices or online activity
Changes in academic performance
Unusual financial behavior or requests for money
Changes in sleep or eating patterns
Escapist behaviors, such as excessive gaming or scrolling

These signs don’t always mean sextortion—but they can indicate that something is wrong and worth exploring with care and openness.

What to Do Right Now

If your child is being sextorted, your response matters.

1. Stay calm and supportive: Your child needs reassurance. A calm response helps them feel safe enough to share details.

2. Stop communication immediately: Do not engage with the perpetrator. Responding can escalate demands.

3. Preserve evidence: Save all messages, usernames, and interactions. This is important for reporting.

4. Block the offender: Once evidence is saved, block them across all platforms.

5. Report the situation

Report through the platform
Contact local law enforcement
Submit a report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

6. Request content removal: Use tools like the Take It Down service from National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

7. Seek emotional support: This experience can be overwhelming. Support from trusted adults or professionals is important.

How to Talk to Your Kids About Sextortion

Take a deep breath—as difficult and emotional as this for parents, it’s ten times worse for kids because it involves shame and fear of disappointing parents (yes they do care about that even if it seems like they don’t).
Rather than scaring teens silly (more than is absolutely necessary), focus on skills and actions to take to be safe.
Brainstorm solutions/role play options “What would (or could) you do if…."
Reinforce that even when bad stuff happens they can get through it and that you will be there for them.
Let them know it can happen to anyone—everyone wants to be liked and have relationships.
Tell them never to give into the threat, nine times out of ten perpetrators do not follow through on what they say they will do.
Cut off contact with the perpetrator and report the incident to authorities and the platform where it takes place.

Bring This Education to Your School

If you’d like to support your child’s school in teaching these essential skills:

Download the Parent Action Kit to learn how to advocate for digital safety education in your community
Book a Demo of the Cyber Civics curriculum to see how these lessons are taught in real classrooms

Resources & Support

If you or your child need help, there are trusted organizations that provide guidance, reporting tools, and support.

Federal Bureau of Investigation: Provides resources for reporting sextortion and investigating online crimes involving minors
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: Offers the CyberTipline for reporting incidents and tools like “Take It Down” to help remove or prevent the spread of images
Local crisis hotlines and support services: Many countries offer 24/7 support lines for emotional distress, crisis situations, or immediate help

Reaching out to these resources can feel overwhelming, but they are there to help families take the next step safely and effectively.

You Are Not Alone

Sextortion is designed to create fear, urgency, and silence. Perpetrators rely on the belief that a young person will feel too embarrassed or afraid to tell anyone. This sense of isolation can make the situation feel much worse than it is.

But it’s important to understand: help is available, and recovery is possible.

With the right support, families can navigate this situation, take action, and move forward. Open communication, calm responses, and access to the right resources can make a significant difference in both the immediate outcome and a child’s long-term well-being.

The most powerful message you can give your child is this: They can come to you—no matter what has happened, no matter how they feel, and no matter how serious it seems.