Online blackmail of Czech children focused on so-called “sextortion” (analysis of culprit and victim behaviors)
Keywords
Sextortion Online blackmail of children Cyberbullying Online blackmail model Blackmail stages Sexting Cybergrooming Safer Internet
Publication details
| Year: | 2017 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.tele.2016.04.004 |
| Issued: | 2017 |
| Language: | English |
| Volume: | 34 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Start Page: | 11 |
| End Page: | 19 |
| Editors: | |
| Authors: | Kopecký K. |
| Type: | Journal article |
| Journal: | Telematics and Informatics |
| Publisher: | Elsevier BV |
| Topics: | Risks and harms; Internet usage, practices and engagement; Social mediation; Online safety and policy regulation |
| Sample: | We use the results of two researches implemented by a team of researchers of the Centre for the Prevention of Risky Virtual Communication (PRVoK) of Palacky University in Olomouc in the years 2014–2016. The first research called Danger of Internet Communication IV was aimed at the prevalence of cyberbullying and other risky forms of communication in the population of Czech children – the data was obtained via questionnaire. The second research was focused on the analysis of specific cases of children extortion that have been captured and dealt with by the Centre PRVoK in cooperation with the Police of the Czech Republic. Descriptive data and relational analysis: The pool was formed from basic and secondary school students who were also users of Internet services and mobile telephones within the entire Czech Republic. For the purposes of this study, the age of the respondents was fixed at 11–17 years old, and then divided into two age categories: 11–14 and 15–17 years old. A controlled selection (proportional stratified selection) from the basic pool of the research sample was used, in which the number of respondents selected to the imaginary subgroups (in our case, to the regions) was proportional to the number of respondents within the basic group. The total number of respondents was 21,372. The research sample consisted of 55.42% girls and 44.58% boys. A total of 68.57% of the respondents were between the ages of 11 and 14 years, and 31.43% of the respondents were between the ages of 15 and 17 years. All 13 regions within the Czech Republic were included, as well as Prague. Analysis of blackmail cases: The victim was an individual younger than 18 years of age (a child); the victim did not inform the parents or other adults regarding the blackmail; the victim did not report the blackmail to the Police. In all cases, the blackmail was conducted over the Internet, mainly within the environment of social networks (e.g., Facebook and ASK.fm). Girls were victims in 73% of the cases, and boys were victims in 27%. The ages of the victims ranged from 11 to 17 years. |
| Implications For Educators About: | Other; Digital citizenship |
| Implications For Policy Makers About: | Creating a safe environment for children online; Other |
| Other PolicyMaker Implication: | Prevention and intervention programs |
Abstract
The online blackmail of children within the environment of Internet services (specifically, social networks) has become an extremely dangerous phenomenon that affects 6–8% of Czech children. Within the following text, data obtained from research conducted in 2013–2015 by the Centre for the Prevention of Risky Virtual Communication, Faculty of Education, Palacký University in Olomouc will be discussed. A selection of analyses aimed at gender and age differences connected with the blackmailing of children will be presented. Additionally, whether the children participate in blackmailing on their own and whether they eventually become offenders of other individuals will be examined. The text will also be supplemented with a typical blackmail model using intimate and sexually explicit materials (which are referred to as “sextortion”) that was created based on a detailed analysis of 25 serious cases of online blackmail. The model has been divided into several connected stages through which the online attack is carried out. The specific stages are subsequently elaborated on using documented evidence. Based on the analysis of individual cases, we have compiled a model that describes the different stages of the process of extortion and can predict communication of the attacker and the victim.
Outcome
• There are very similar techniques used to blackmail children.
• These techniques focuses on gaining confidence, luring out intimate material, and subsequent blackmailing.
• To obtain the child’s attention, the offender begins to positively evaluate all materials sent by the victim.
• One hundred percent of the child victims did not contact an adult during the 2–3 months of blackmail.
• The role of prevention is invaluable in these situations. (Kopecký, 2017, Highlights)