Sextortion: Prevalence and Correlates in 10 Countries

• In Event: Gendered and Sexualized Patterns in Deviant Behavior

Abstract

The growing threat of sexual extortion (the threat to disseminate intimate images, colloquially known as “sextortion”) has garnered significant attention in the news and by law enforcement agencies globally. Foundational knowledge of prevalence and risk factors, however, is still nascent. We surveyed 16,693 respondents, distributed equally across 10 different countries, to assess prevalence of sextortion victimization and perpetration. Weighted by gender, age, region, and population, 14.5% of respondents indicated at least one experience of victimization, while 4.8% of respondents indicated engaging in perpetration behaviors. Demographic risk factors for perpetration and victimization were also assessed. Men were more likely to report both victimization (15.7% vs 13.2%) and perpetration (7.0% vs 4.9%) as compared to women. LGBTQ+ respondents were more likely to report victimization (26.6% vs 12.8%), and perpetration (12.1% vs 4.8%) as compared to non-LGBTQ+ respondents. The study found that sextortion victimization is a relatively commonplace occurrence, impacting 1 in 7 adults. Accordingly, we propose several avenues to focus on for mitigation: harm-reduction education centered around safer sexting, improved resources for victim-survivors including technical tools, and relevant legislation paired with appropriate training for law enforcement tasked with tackling this harm.

Authors

• Rebecca Umbach, Google

• Nicola Henry, RMIT University