Real Life Stories
Threats
When a 17-year-old girl accessed her Instant Messenger (IM) program, she was confronted by someone who advised her that they were a hacker. He threatened the girl that if she did not show her breasts on webcam, he would delete all of her contacts and send viruses to her computer. The girl complied and showed her breasts on webcam. The suspect then threatened that he would post the video of her breasts online if she did not show him her buttocks. After the girl complied with the second request, he threatened her again saying that she needed to show him her vagina, at which point she deleted him as a contact. Two weeks later, the girl was contacted by the man again. The girl confided in her parents who immediately got the police involved.
What does this mean?
Sexual offenders may hijack IM accounts and coerce adolescents to send nude or partially-clothed images of themselves. Adolescents may not realize that photos or videos can be reproduced, altered, posted online or sent to others without their permission. Once material is sent online, control over what happens with the material is lost, and subsequent exposure of the adolescent can be devastating.
What can I do?
Teach students about adding friends only if they have already met them in person. Reinforce the idea that not everyone is who they say they are online — people can pretend to be older or younger than they actually are.
Explain to students that they should never comply with threats. If someone threatens them online, they need to tell a safe adult. Make sure students know to stop any conversation that makes them feel uncomfortable and tell a safe adult.
Explain to students that pictures should not be sent or posted online without parental permission. Once sent, control over what happens to the pictures is lost.
If a student comes across something or someone that makes her/him feel uncomfortable, explain that it is important for her/him to tell you or another safe adult.
Check out our Popular Activities section for more information on technologies being used by adolescents and how to make them safer. Also take a look at our Unhealthy Relationships section to learn more about subtle forms of manipulation and how you can talk to students about these.