September 28, 2015
Psychological Damages From Sexting
Dear Friends,
As you know, Enough Is Enough® has been warning about this issue ever since social media and mobile technology emerged years ago.
The National Center for Psychological Trauma at University Medical Center Utrecht has noted a steep increase in the number of young people they treat for mental health problems related to being blackmailed with nude photos sent during sexting. They have worked with more and more patients dealing with anxiety and depression because of decisions they have made while sexting. Most of these victims are between 14 and 17 years old and a higher percentage of them are females. The common example of sexting blackmail for a girl is when an ex-boyfriend threatens to share videos or photos he has saved from texting if she does not continue to follow his demands. Completely distraught about the idea of her photos being shared publicly, the girl usually complies and then spirals downwards into depression, self-blame and self-mutilation. Did you know that this act of blackmail is also categorized as a criminal act by the FBI? It's called "sextortion." Your child may not know the serious consequences that can come with sexting, so we feel it is important to have age-appropriate conversation with them. You can protect against sextortion by:- Supervising your child's computer or mobile device usage.
- Employing basic security measures on all technology.
- Covering webcams with removable tape when not in use.
Bottom line: Implement Internet Safety 101® Rules 'N Tools on all Internet-enabled devices used by your kids! Please, remember, you are your child's best line of defense!
To report suspected sextortion crimes or to get help from law enforcement, call your local FBI office at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
For the Sake of the children,
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Donna Rice Hughes
President & CEO, Enough Is Enough® Making the Internet safer for children & families.
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