Children and teens are being warned to think of the potentially dire consequences before sending intimate photos of themselves to friends and strangers.
Sextortion — where a predator gets access to intimate photos of a young person and then blackmails them for more — is on the rise internationally and in Canada, says the Coquitlam-based Children of the Street Society, and kids need to think twice before allowing someone access to their photos.
Provocative photos of teens in private spaces have been placed in bus shelters across the lower mainland along with warnings that the photos they share could be held over their head for more compromising images.
"Are you sure he won't threaten to share them with your entire contact list? Are you sure you want to give him that much power?" warn the ads, produced by Cossette Vancouver.
Society director Diane Sowden, who is also a Coquitlam school trustee, told The Tri-City News the campaign aims to help youths protect themselves against online predators who are using the internet to manipulate them.
Children as young as 13 have been victimized and the story of Amanda Todd, the Port Coquitlam teen who was blackmailed after sharing an intimate photo of herself — and later killed herself after she was relentlessly bullied — is a cautionary tale.
And the sextortion phenomenon is global.
A Dutch man was recently convicted of online fraud and blackmail involving the abuse of 34 young women and men. The sentencing of Aydin Coban for nearly 11 years for cyber abuse has raised the profile of extortion, said Sowden, but it's on the rise everywhere, even in Canada. (A Dutch court will also decide April 4 whether Coban can be extradited to Canada to be tried in Todd's case).
Reports from cybertip.ca, the national tip line for sexual exploitation of children, has indicated a 40% rise in this type of online criminal behaviour, Sowden said. "And we're seeing the same thing in the classroom," said Sowden, whose group provides workshops for schools across B.C., including School District 43.
"We're asking youth, 'Do you know what's going to happen after you send this photo?'"
Parents are also being offered help to talk to their teens about the potential for online sexual exploitation with a contract they can negotiate with their kids when they hand them a smartphone to use. The contract, available at www.shareyourterms.com, should help families deal with what is becoming a pressing issue with the rise of social media, Sowden said.
"I just keep saying to parents, 'It's a new playground for predators.'"
For details, visit: childrenofthestreet.com, shareyourterms.com
