NET ECOUTE alert:
Victims of sexual blackmail are increasingly numerous and younger (as young as 14 years old).
The isolation of lockdown has increased the amount of time many teenagers spend in front of screens, particularly playing sexual «games». Calls received by NET LISTENING, Calls to the national toll-free number specialising in the protection of minors on the internet have increased in recent weeks, particularly for webcam blackmail and sextortion (with an increase of nearly 50%).
It is the profile of the victims that is particularly alarming: They are often young secondary school pupils (mostly boys) barely 14 years old. Among the platforms that are the subject of numerous reports are Hangouts, with encounters that took place on social networks such as Instagram (up 10%) and Snapchat.
Young people contact Net Ecoute by telephone, but increasingly often via chat and messaging (with an increase of 30 %, as it is more accessible to teenagers during lockdown). Free, anonymous and confidential, NET ECOUTE (3018) is the national helpline specialising in the protection of minors on the internet and all the issues young people face in their digital practices. Managed by the e-Enfance Association (Child Protection on the Internet since 2005, recognised as a public utility), it helps teenagers, parents and professionals with practical advice and psychological, technical and legal assistance, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm.
According to Justine Atlan, Managing Director of Net Ecoute and e-Enfance: « With the loneliness and confinement of lockdown, the distress of the most vulnerable is increasing – and with it, the risks for adolescents. For these young people holed up behind their screens, there is sometimes the illusion that social media is a place to meet people and escape. Today, as we can see from the increasing number of calls we are receiving, it is a place fraught with danger, particularly of a sexual and discriminatory nature. »
Children, teenagers, parents or professionals To contact us: 3018 (freephone number) netecoute.fr with live chat – Messenger
