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Nearly one in 10 parents say their child has been blackmailed online, while one in five (21 percent) knows a child who has experienced it, with threats ranging from releasing intimate images to revealing details about their private life.
Despite this, child protection charity NSPCC It also found that two in five UK parents say they rarely or never talk to their children about the subject.
Reasons given for not talking about things online Blackmail 32 percent feared their child would overreact, and 25 percent cited Child’s reluctance to talk about sensitive topics.
In March, the National Crime Agency said that British teenage boys were increasingly being blackmailed Increase in online sexual extortion as young women are targeted by Nigerian crime gangs.
Officers warn criminals are targeting boys as young as 14 on Snapchat and Instagram – tricking them into sending explicit images before demanding payments of around £100.
While most victims of child sexual abuse are women, 90 percent of victims of sextortion are boys aged 14 to 17.
In recent years two teenage boys have taken their own lives after being blackmailed online. Dinal de Alwis, 16, killed herself in Sutton, south London, in October 2022 after a man threatened to send two nude photos to “all his followers”. Murray Downey, 16, died in 2023 after being targeted in a sextortion scandal on Instagram.
The NSPCC survey, which received responses from more than 2,500 parents, found that one in three parents feel that tech companies and the government are failing in their duty to protect children from online blackmail.
Parents felt that the charity and the school were doing a lot to help prevent damage.
Talking about the work tech companies do to protect children, one parent said: ,He has no interest of any kind. As long as they get money from marketing, it’s good enough for them.”
Rani Govender, policy manager at the NSPCC, said: “These findings show the scale of online blackmail happening across the country, yet tech companies are falling short in their duty to protect children.
“With one in three parents saying tech companies and the government are failing to prevent young people experiencing online blackmail, it’s clear that urgent action is needed. Children must be safe online, and this should be built into the core structure of these platforms, rather than being shut down after the damage has already been done.
“While we push for systemic change, it’s important that parents feel able to have these difficult conversations with their children. Knowing how to talk about online blackmail in an age-appropriate way, and creating an environment where children feel safe to come forward without fear of judgment can make a huge difference.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans in confidence on 116 123 (UK & ROI), email. jo@samaritans.orgor visit Samaria If you are located in the United States, and you or someone you know needs mental health support at this time, call or message the website for details of your nearest branch, or visit 988lifeline.org To access online chat from 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to anyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go here www.befrienders.org To find a helpline near you