Typically, a person uses a false identity to befriend a victim via social media. The exchange may start with flirting or flattery and involves a blackmailer grooming a child and manipulating, tricking or coercing them into sharing sexual photos, videos or livestreams. Once sexual content has been shared, the blackmailer will extort their victim by threatening to publish and share the images or recordings unless demands are met. Typical demands include money or more sexual material.

Watch the video below from the police that shows how an online chat can quickly develop into blackmail. The PSNI website provides further advice and information.

Try not to panic and remember the following:

• Don’t respond to demands and don’t pay up
• End all communication with the blackmailers, do not continue to message them
• Block the blackmailer on all platforms and change your password on all accounts
• Blackmailers are breaking a number of laws so make sure to report any concerns to the police on 101, report it online or phone 999 in an emergency

• Listen carefully to what a child is saying, believe them and let them know that they have done the right thing by telling you
• Reassure a child that it’s not their fault, and that irrespective of the content or circumstance, the responsibility always lies with the person who groomed them
• Report a concern to the police and seek advice as soon as possible

The NSPCC have produced an animation and resources that include simple tips to ensure children always feel listened to.

One of the greatest barriers to a child or young person seeking help and reporting online abuse, is feeling they are to blame for something that has happened to them. It is important that an adult response is supportive and non-judgemental. Language and behaviour that implies that a child or young person is complicit in, or responsible in some way, for any harm or abuse they’ve experienced or may experience is victim blaming.

Remember, a child or young person can never be expected to predict, pre-empt or protect themselves from abuse, and irrespective of the content or circumstance, the responsibility always lies with the person who abused them.

• Having early, often and open conversations with a child or young person about their online activity can help them understand who to trust online and empower them to avoid or safely deal with inappropriate contact. Internet Matters provides lots of advice and tips about how to start the conversation
• Discuss how easy it is for someone to hide their identity online and the risks with sharing sexual messages, images, videos and/or livestreams with strangers or new online ‘friends’ that they don’t know in real life
• Help them to recognise and report inappropriate and unhealthy communication, this might include:
  • Engaging with strangers or ‘friends’ that they haven’t met offline
  • Conversations about sex or sexual activity
  • Receiving or requests for nudes, sexual videos or livestreams
  • Requests to share personal info and asking to meet up offline
  • Receiving gifts and money from someone they haven’t met
  • Someone forcing them to do things, including sexual activity
  • Anything that makes a child feel unsafe or uncomfortable
• Make sure that a child understands the basics:
  • Keep it private and don’t share sensitive, private of personal information online. Use privacy settings to protect their personal accounts and content
  • Keep their guard up, be careful about who they befriend online and be mindful that people online aren’t always who they say they are, predators and criminals are skilled at faking their identity! Be careful about who they befriend online.
  • Ignore, block, report and tell a trusted adult if anything upsets them or makes them feel uncomfortable online
  • Always avoid nudity and never share intimate and sexual images, videos or livestreams in online spaces. If a child has shared an image of themselves then encourage them to report it and seek help