Nearly one in 10 parents in the UK say their child has been blackmailed online, according to a new survey by the NSPCC. The harms include threats to release intimate pictures or reveal private details such as the child's sexuality.
The charity found that one in five parents know a child who has experienced online blackmail, while two in five said they rarely or never discuss the issue with their children. The survey of over 2,500 parents also highlighted the growing problem of sextortion, with the National Crime Agency receiving more than 110 reports a month.
Cases have ended in tragedy, including Murray Dowey, 16, from Dunblane, who died by suicide in 2023 after being targeted on Instagram, and Dinal De Alwis, 16, from Sutton, south London, who died in 2022 after being blackmailed over nude photos. Agencies in the UK, US and Australia have noted a rise in sextortion cases involving teenage boys and young men, often perpetrated by cyber-criminal gangs based in west Africa or south-east Asia.
The NSPCC's definition of blackmail includes threats to release intimate images or videos obtained consensually, through coercion, or created using artificial intelligence. Perpetrators can be strangers or someone the child knows, such as a friend or schoolmate. Demands may include money, more images, or staying in a relationship.
The charity also warned against 'sharenting' — parents sharing photos or details of their children online — and called on tech companies to do more to protect children. Rani Govender, NSPCC policy manager, said: 'Children deserve to be safe online, and that must be built into the very fabric of these platforms, not bolted on after harm has already been done.'
