How can I help protect my child from sextortion?

Sextortion occurs when a person uses guilt, power, or knowledge of a certain secret to force another person into providing sexually explicit photos, having sex, or performing sexual favors.

Out of the people who report sharing nude photos of themselves, almost a third of them have shared the photos with people they only know online or with people they've never met face-to-face. What's important about sextortion is that parents teach their children not to trust anyone online that they don't know, to keep their profile private -- even after they turn eighteen years old -- and to make sure they report any online contact they've received from online strangers who are asking for private or creepy information.

Teens and young adults need to understand that when they take these types of photographs or if they turn on their webcam for strangers, the person on the receiving end can easily record and spread the information anywhere they choose, or demand more and make threats if they don't receive it.