Resources for Kids, Teens and Parents

High school students sitting on a bench on their laptops

SEXTORTION

Sextortion is a form of child sexual exploitation where children are threatened or blackmailed, most often with the possibility of sharing with the public a nude or sexual images of them, by a person who demands additional sexual content, sexual activity or money from the child. This crime often involves the manipulation or coercion of individuals, sometimes using online platforms to exploit them. Victims are typically pressured into fulfilling the demands to avoid the humiliation or harm of having their intimate content shared without their consent.

Parents sitting on the couch with their child looking at a smart device

STARTING THE CONVERSATION

One of the keys to prevention is engaging in conversation with your children and teens about these issues. As young people increasingly engage with online platforms, they may encounter risks such as cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and privacy breaches. By initiating open and honest discussions, we empower them to navigate the internet responsibly, recognize potential dangers, and make informed decisions.

Parents sitting on the couch with their child looking at a smart device

RESOURCES FOR VICTIMS AND PARENTS

If you or someone you know is a victim of online child exploitation, it is important to seek help immediately. You are not alone, and there are resources available to support you. Please remember, help is available, and it is crucial to take action to protect yourself or others from further harm. Do not hesitate to reach out to these resources.

sextortion-what-parents-should-know This guide gives general information on this growing trend we are seeing.

It’s Called Sextortion The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created this video to help illustrate an example of sextortion.

its-called-sextortion-poster Help is available if you are a victim of Sextortion, reach out to NCMEC or us at 208-947-8702

No Escape Room | NCMEC The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is unveiling “No Escape Room,” a thrilling new interactive experience that plunges parents and caregivers into the reality of financial sextortion, coinciding with the release of new data on child sexual exploitation.

Sextortion: It’s more common than you think | ICE This article details the uprising occurrence of sextortion and highlighting the importance of reporting such incidents to law enforcement and offers resources to support victims in preventing and addressing this crime.

Watch this short story of a teen girl that is blackmailed into sending more explicit images and video to someone online she thought she knew.

Cybercriminals Target Children with Sexually Explicit Blackmail Scheme : State of the World from NPR : NPR State of the World NPR Episode talking about the severity of the issue of sextortion.

The Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline provides crisis intervention, emotional support, and resource referrals to all Idahoans. Call or text 208-398-4357.

Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Call 1-800-273-8255.

being-a-trusted-adult Being a trusted adult can help facilitate open communication and trust to discuss these issues and hopefully help a child disclose to a safe person if they are victim of one of these crimes.

Start the Conversation Understanding the importance of technology in a teens life is a great step to setting guidelines and boundaries,

grades-k-5-family-tips-privacy-security-english Tips for parents of kids aged k-5th grade for smart phone safety

Talking to Teens About Sexting Tips on starting the conversation with teens about smart phone safety and privacy

The Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline provides crisis intervention, emotional support, and resource referrals to all Idahoans. Call or text 208-398-4357.

Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Call 1-800-273-8255.

Here is a list of online safety rules that parents can use to help keep children safe online.

Review the list of online safety guides for many of the popular social media platforms.

NetSmartz is NCMEC’s online safety education program. It provides age-appropriate videos and activities to help teach children be safer online with the goal of helping children to become more aware of potential online risks and empowering them to help prevent victimization by making safer choices on- and offline.

NSTeens.org was created through a partnership between Sprint® and the Internet safety experts at NetSmartz® Workshop, a program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children®. Through animated videos, short films, games, and interactive comics, NSTeens teaches tweens and teens about making safer choices online. Teaching materials are available for intermediate, middle school, and high school educators so they can bring these engaging lessons right into the classroom. All resources on NSTeens.org are available free of charge. Visit the NSTeens website.

Search sex offender registries for all 50 states, The District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and Indian Country. Visit the National Sex Offender Public Website.

ConnectSafely.org is a Silicon Valley, Calif.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to educating users of connected technology about safety, privacy and security. Here you’ll find research-based safety tips, parents’ guidebooks, advice, news and commentary on all aspects of tech use and policy. Visit the Connect Safely website.

The Family Online Safety Institute is an international, non-profit organization which works to make the online world safer for kids and their families.  FOSI convenes leaders in industry, government and the non-profit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions and policies in the field of online safety.  Through research, resources, events and special projects, FOSI promotes a culture of responsibility online and encourages a sense of digital citizenship for all. Visit the Family Online Safety Institute website.

The Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline provides crisis intervention, emotional support, and resource referrals to all Idahoans. Call or text 208-398-4357.

Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Call 1-800-273-8255.

ICAC Safer Internet Day 2021 Sexting Tip for Parents-Youth.

ICAC Safer Internet Day 2021 Sexting Tip for Parents-Youth (Spanish).

Here is a list of online safety rules that teens can follow to be safe online.

Our ICAC brochure can be found here available to print or view. Awareness and information spreading is key to preventing online exploitation. ICAC_TrifoldBrochure_Final