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Childline data reveals boys are most vulnerable to ‘sextortion’

In response, we launched a new Childline campaign encouraging boys to contact the service for help and support.

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  • Between April-December 2024, Childline delivered over 500 counselling sessions about sexual extortion.1
  • From these, where the gender was known, almost two-thirds of counselling sessions (63%) were delivered to boys.2
  • In response, we launched a new Childline campaign targeted at young boys to remind them of how easy it is to be fooled by fake accounts online.3

The latest Childline data has revealed that boys are more than twice as likely as girls to receive help and advice from the service for worries about ‘sextortion’. Sextortion is a form of online blackmail that involves the threat of sharing nude or semi-nude images or videos to extort money or force someone to do something against their will.

In the first nine months of this year, we delivered more than 500 counselling sessions to children and young people about sexually coerced online extortion. Where the gender was recorded, 63% of these sessions were delivered to boys compared to 36% with girls. This is almost an exact opposite to the breakdown seen for the total number of counselling sessions delivered by Childline across all issues affecting young people.

Childline has also seen thematic differences between counselling sessions delivered to boys about sexually coerced online extortion compared to girls. Communication with boys tended to revolve around financial blackmail, whereas girls typically spoke about being pressured to send nude or semi-nude images rather than money.

Our new campaign with WhyDee and Kay from The Charvas

To tackle this problem Childline has launched a new campaign specifically encouraging boys to contact the service for help and support.

As part of this, social media influencers WhyDee and Kay from The Charvas took part in a challenge with Childline. They were given the task to figure out which one of four social media accounts were real, based on online conversations. However, this challenge came with a twist — all the accounts were fake and secretly managed by BBC 1Xtra’s Richie Brave to highlight just how easy it is to be duped.

During the challenge, The Charvas experience first-hand some of the ways in which sexual extortion scammers attempt to deceive young people. Meanwhile, Richie Brave shares advice about some of the warning signs that young people can look out for to remain safe.

Additional support for children and young people who may have experienced sexually coerced online extortion can also be found via the Report Remove tool that we developed with the Internet Watch Federation. This tool allows young people under the age of 18 to report any sexual images of themselves online and works to have the images removed.

Watch the new campaign video

Darren Worth, Service Head at Childline, said: “At Childline, we're concerned by the amount of young people who received advice and support about sexual extortion, especially boys who make up more than two-thirds of these counselling sessions.

"Being targeted by these scams can feel incredibly isolating which is why we've launched this new campaign with WhyDee and Kay from The Charvas, to show young people just how sophisticated these cons can be, and that anyone can be duped. We want all young people to know that falling victim to ‘sextortion’ isn't their fault, and seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

"No child should have to cope with a problem like this alone, and Childline is always here to listen and support them whenever they need it. Our Report Remove tool can also help young people take back control if indecent images or videos have been shared online."

Tips from Childline to help young people stay safe online include:

Think before you share

Remember that once something is shared online, it can be saved, screenshot, or forwarded without your knowledge or consent. Take a moment to pause and think about potential consequences.

Keep private info private

Regular privacy check-ups are essential. Review your social media privacy settings monthly, ensure your accounts are set to private, and be selective about who you accept as friends or followers. Never share passwords and use different ones for each account.

Know who you're chatting to

Be wary of new online friends who pressure you to move conversations to private messaging apps quickly, seem too good to be true, or make excuses about why they can't video chat. Real friends won't rush you or pressure you to share personal information or images.

Talk it out

If someone is threatening you or making you feel uncomfortable online, save the evidence by taking screenshots, but don't respond to their demands. Remember that seeking help shows strength, not weakness. Whether it's a parent, teacher, trusted adult, or Childline counsellor, there are people ready to support you without judgment.

Report Remove

If you're under 18 and worried about a nude image or video of you that's online or might be shared online, Report Remove can help take it down. The service is completely confidential, and you don't need to provide your real name. Visit the Childline website to learn how to use this tool and take back control.

Support from Childline

Childline has advice and support for young people about sextortion at childline.org.uk/trust-online. Information about sextortion and how Childline can help is available at NSPCC Learning for parents and professionals working with young people.

Childline is available for young people via the phone on 0800 1111 and online through the 121 chat on the Childline website. 

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References

  1. 1) From 1st April 2024 – 31st December 2024 Childline delivered 510 counselling sessions to children and young people who mentioned blackmail/threats to expose/share sexual images online.

  2. 2) So far this year (April – Dec 2024) 63% of counselling sessions that mentioned blackmail/threats to expose/share sexual images were with boys (146), 36% with girls and 1% with Trans/Non-binary children and young people (where gender was known)

  3. 3) You can watch the full campaign video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl-iRm9iTh8