Skeptic Review

Online Sextortion and teen boys

FUNNY CHARACTER PROVIDES “WAY IN” TO TOUGH CONVERSATION; “WAY OUT” OF SEXTORTION

The new www.dontgetsextorted.ca website offers resources for boys, educators and parents to facilitate open conversations about the issue and a link to confidential online help. Downloadable, teen-friendly sharable communication tools and the #dontgetsextorted hashtag encourage sharing of the prevention message among boys.

“Awareness is critical because you can’t avoid a threat you don’t know about,” says Lianna McDonald, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

The Don’t Get Sextorted, Send a Naked Mole Rat campaign breaks down communication barriers with a character that uses humour and innuendo to appeal to teenage boys; capture their attention; and make it easier to talk about sextortion. The naked mole rat character is also portrayed in memes that can be sent as a prankster-style alternative to those asking for nudes online. It gives boys an easy “way out” of a potential sextortion situation.

The naked mole rat – a little-known African rodent; pink, hairless, and three to four inches in size – is the ideal character for giving boys something to talk about and an alternative to sending a nude. The rodent is cold-blooded; feels no pain; and can be deprived of oxygen for up to 18 minutes. With its feature role in Canada’s first sextortion awareness campaign targeted at boys, it may be able to add protecting Canadian teens to its list of capabilities.