Online safety & extortion: A reminder to parents & students that help is available

Image: iStockWith recent instances of online extortion in the news, Surrey Schools is encouraging parents, families and students to become better informed about safe online interactions and not be afraid to reach out if things take a negative or overwhelming turn.

“We’re all exposed to so many people online and we really have the world at our fingertips,” explained Jaclyn Blaney, manager of Safe Schools. “It can sometimes feel a little daunting, but it’s really important to create that awareness about online activity with children and educate ourselves on what children could be exposed to when logging on.”

From online harassment, graphic imagery, sexual extortion (sextortion) and luring, there are numerous potential dangers that parents and youth should be aware of.

“Anyone can fall victim to things like cyberbullying and online extortion, and the best way to avoid these kinds of situations is through education,” said Blaney.

Parents and caregivers should also be aware that these issues are common, and that no school or community is unaffected.

As an example, Blaney explained that a case of sextortion could start off as simply as somebody liking a teen’s Instagram post and striking up a conversation through direct messages. After building trust, the person may then encourage the youth to send other images of themselves. Once they have something that may be incriminating, they may begin to demand money in exchange for not sharing those images with others in the school or broader community.

“In these types of scenarios, it can be another student making the threats,” she said. “But in some situations, it’s been an adult from another country pretending to be someone local.”

Sometimes, Blaney said, youth who have initially resisted sending images relent after sustained online pressure.

“They sometimes get worn down by the pursuer, so they might keep rejecting requests but after time, get tired of saying ‘no’ and send them something,” she said. “Once that’s sent, it can progress, and the pursuer eventually conditions them to send more explicit images.”
 
 Blaney said it’s important that we start to recognize this pattern of behaviour that occurs. It’s also critical that youth know that if somebody is being targeted through sextortion or the sharing of intimate images, they are not alone and help is available to remedy the situation.

“Nobody, especially students, should ever feel like they need to figure this out on their own,” she said. “There are things we can do that the distric``t level, and law enforcement also has their own methods for having things removed from the internet, including liaising directly with social platforms being used to spread malicious photos or information.

“Just talk to somebody, be it a parent, a teacher or a counsellor and they can begin those first steps of addressing the issue.

“If there is one thing that I want every student to know about online harassment or sextortion, it’s that you should always reach out to a trusted adult for help. Do not be embarrassed – know that you have an entire community that is ready to help. And we have the resources to be able to do this effectively.”

For more information on how to educate and protect yourself online, please see the following resources:

• PSST (Protecting Surrey Schools Together) – A district-operated student and family resource for reporting any harmful online behaviour, or just to talk to somebody if they are feeling concerned about any harmful activities in their lives or those around them.
   
• Cybertip – Government-endorsed online resource and tip line for families to learn about online harms how to avoid them and who to contact regarding online concerns.
   
• Protect Kids Online – Government-endorsed resource sites designed for educating parents on navigating digital landscapes with their child, listing emerging issues and trends and what to do when faced with concerning behaviours.
   
• Erase Cyberbullying – The B.C. Government’s resource guide on parenting in a digital world, complete with parent and teacher tips.
   
• Sextortion: It's a scam. It's trending. You can make it stop! – RCMP release on how to navigate sextortion scams.