New data reveals the devastating toll of sextortion on kids

1 in 7 youth victims say they harmed themselves in response to sextortion

LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Thorn, a nonprofit that builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age, released new research exposing the serious emotional–and at times physical–impact sextortion is having on kids and teens in the U.S.

The data shows that 1 in 7 young people who experienced sextortion as a minor said they harmed themselves in response to the abuse.

The report, titled Sextortion & Young People: Navigating Threats in Digital Environments, is one of the most comprehensive national studies on youth sextortion to date. It draws on insights from 1,200 young people aged 13–20 to explore how sextortion is showing up in their lives and how they respond.

“Sextortion has evolved into much more than just a scam. It’s a form of manipulative, isolating abuse that’s enacted on children navigating their interactions on platforms every day,” said Melissa Stroebel, Vice President of Research and Strategic Impact. “Kids are being pushed into dangerous and self-destructive behaviors, and far too often, they’re navigating it alone.”

Key findings from the report include:

• 1 in 7 youth victims (15%) said they harmed themselves in response to sextortion. Among LGBTQ+ victims, that rate nearly triples to 28%, compared to 10% of their non-LGBTQ+ peers.
  
  
• 1 in 6 victims (18%) reported sending additional sexual images of themselves due to threats—suggesting cycles of revictimization are common.
  
  
• 1 in 10 (10%) said they sent sexual imagery of someone else, and 15% reported staying in or returning to a relationship with their abuser.
  
  
• 1 in 6 victims (17%) said they were age 12 or younger when they were first sextorted—highlighting the particular vulnerability of younger kids to these harms.
  
  
• 1 in 3 victims (36%) knew their extortionist in real life, often a romantic partner, school peer, or even a family acquaintance. Offline connections often led to more credible and psychologically damaging threats.

Sextortion, or sexual extortion, is a form of abuse where someone threatens to share sexual content unless the victim complies with demands—often for more images, money, or continued contact. While it can happen to anyone, Thorn’s data shows clear patterns in how perpetrators target and manipulate kids.

The study also found that technology plays a central role in this abuse:

• 81% of victims said the threats occurred exclusively online, often through social media or messaging platforms.
  
  
• Very few (6%) experienced threats in person only, underscoring how digital environments are being used to facilitate this harm.

“Sextortion has become a tool of control,” Stroebel said. “And the damage it causes to young people, especially when it comes from someone the victim knows, is devastating.”

The data reveals a sobering statistic illustrating the prevalence of this harm: In total, 1 in 5 teens (20%) surveyed said they had experienced sextortion.

“This study shows that ‘following the rules’ or trusting someone you know doesn’t always protect you,” Stroebel added. “We need to widen the conversation and prepare kids for the real-world risks they face—online and off.”

How to ensure child safety as sextortion evolves

Thorn’s research underscores the need for platforms to enhance their detection and reporting mechanisms to better understand and track sextortion, and for parents and guardians to discuss the risks with their children and create safe spaces where children don’t fear seeking help.

Thorn offers several resources for doing so, including Thorn for Parents, which helps parents and caregivers facilitate earlier, more frequent, and judgment-free conversations with kids about digital safety. In addition, Thorn’s NoFiltr program encourages healthy and informed conversations directly among youth, equipping young people with the knowledge to recognize and navigate potentially risky online experiences.

In addition, if you or someone you know is worried about intimate images of them as a minor being online, NCMEC’s Take It Down service can help have those images removed.

Read the full report: Sexual Extortion & Young People: Navigating Threats in Digital Environments

About Thorn

Thorn is an innovative technology nonprofit that transforms how children are protected from sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age.

Thorn builds scalable tools to help platforms detect and prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation, supports investigators in finding victims faster, and shares research and technical guidance to shape policy and improve protections for children worldwide.

By working within the broader child protection ecosystem, Thorn is creating a digital safety net to protect every child’s right to simply be a kid.

To learn more about Thorn’s mission to protect children in the digital age, visit thorn.org.