A hard-hitting new investigation has revealed that online blackmail is a widespread danger facing children across the UK, confirming that 1 in 10 parents confirms their child has been blackmailed on the internet.
The research, which surveyed 2,558 UK parents and carers, provides “firm confirmation” that this is a serious and growing issue. Parents say they feel responsible for protecting their kids, but believe they are being let down by the powerful forces—the government and big technology companies—that should be creating a safer digital world.
Critical Moments
The research “A collective concern: parent and carer views on the online blackmail of children and young people” serves as a clear warning to organizations, including the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), of the urgent need to strengthen parents’ ability to recognize and handle online blackmail. The study highlights that preventing this type of abuse requires a strong, focused effort from everyone involved.
The Scale of the Problem: Nearly 1 in 10 parents (9%) reported that their own child has been blackmailed online. Furthermore, about 1 in 5 parents (21%) knows a child who has been a victim and has helped them.
Blame for Inaction: About one-third of parents believe the government (33% view as ineffective) and technology companies/platforms (30% view as ineffective) are not doing enough to stop online blackmail. Parents feel these groups must be held accountable for creating a digital world that is safe by design.
The Conversation Gap: While parents regularly discuss general online safety, they are often silent on the specific threat of blackmail. Two in five parents (40%) say they rarely or never talk about online blackmail with their children.
Knowledge vs. Action: Parents generally feel confident about supporting their children emotionally (89%) and practically (85%) if they are blackmailed. However, the study suggests this confidence may be too high. Worryingly, parents who had previously helped a victim were much more likely to say they would try to talk to the blackmailer (22% vs 9%) or give in to their demands (12% vs 3%). Experts usually advise against these actions.
New Technology, New Threats: The danger is intensifying as technology changes. Blackmailers typically move chats to private, encrypted messages, which makes it harder for safety systems to detect threats. Even more concerning, the rise of Generative AI (Gen AI) means criminals can create very realistic, intimate “deepfake” images of a child using just normal photos—they no longer need to trick the child into sending an original image first.
Early Education is Key: Most parents agree that education about online blackmail should start early, ideally when children are age 8 to 11. They see the main responsibility for this education falling on schools (71%) and themselves (69%).
HeyLocate has investigated the rise in sextortion of children, revealing how it occurs, the impact of AI, and what can be done about it.
The Parents’ Dilemma: Trying to Keep Up
Online blackmail is defined simply as “when someone threatens to share things about a child online if the child doesn’t do what they say.” The blackmailer might use private photos, videos, or even sensitive information, like a child’s sexuality, to force them to send money, more images, or meet in person. This is a form of abuse, and it is against the law.
Parents feel caught between protecting their kids and fighting threats they can’t control. When asked how to best reduce risk, parents prioritized fixes outside the home: safer online platforms (48%) and education in schools (46%).
When criticizing the major players, parents accused technology companies of putting “profit and stakeholders” first and only doing the “minimum” to keep children safe. They also criticized the government for moving too slowly, noting that “technology is moving at a pace the government can’t keep up with,” causing laws to become outdated quickly. Parents demanded new laws, stricter fines on tech companies, and better support for victims.
More Numbers to Know
In 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported 29.2 million separate child sexual exploitation incidents sent to its CyberTipline. The number of young people falling victim to sexual extortion—commonly called ‘sextortion’—has jumped 72% in just one year, new data from the Internet Watch Foundation and Childline shows.
Boys are disproportionately targeted (85-97% of victims). Age group most at risk: 14-17 years old.
Rapid escalation: Some cases move from initial contact to blackmail in under an hour.
International crime rings: Predominantly from West African countries (Nigeria, Ivory Coast) and Southeast Asia (Philippines).
Mental health impact: Strong links to self-harm and suicide.
AI and encryption concerns: Deepfakes and encrypted messaging are making the problem worse.
Underreporting: Experts estimate only 1 in 10 cases are reported.
Breaking Down Barriers to Help
Despite their worries, most parents said they would turn to the police (55%), friends and family (49%), and their child’s school (49%) for advice if their child was blackmailed. A large majority (86%) said they would likely report the incident.
However, parents face major personal hurdles when trying to discuss this sensitive topic:
- Fear of Scaring the Child: The biggest challenge parents faced in talking about blackmail was the fear of overreacting or scaring their child (32%).
- Knowledge Deficit: For parents who lacked confidence in offering practical help, the main issue was not knowing the steps to take to stop and report the blackmailer (49%) or where to find reliable information (44%).
Young people themselves confirmed that they fear their parents will overreact, blame them, or get angry. They emphasized that if they did tell an adult, they would want that conversation to be calm, supportive, and non-judgmental.
The NSPCC plans to use these findings to create better resources, including dedicated projects set for 2026, one of which will focus specifically on LGBTQ+ young people, who are often hit harder by online blackmail.
This investigation makes it clear that while parents are doing their best to steer their children through dangerous digital waters, they are asking the shipbuilders (tech platforms) and the harbor master (government) to fix the structural flaws—the lack of safety built into the system.
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