The repercussions of the abuse are devastating: At least a dozen boys died by suicide in 2022, after they were blackmailed, according to the FBI. Meanwhile, social media companies are playing catch up to stem the tidal wave of sextortion scams targeting children. Researchers who study sextortion say teens are particularly vulnerable because of the stage of their brain development. “Our center receives an incredibly disproportionate number of help requests from male victims,” said Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and a professor of criminology at Florida Atlantic University. “Presuming that sexting is a precursor to sextortion, it is possible that females may send nudes more so in the context of a romantic relationship whereas males may do so more casually and experimentally. This fact makes males more of an easy target.”
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Justice for Men & Boys 