— By Taryn Black, CEO Life Ed Queensland
This week marked Safer Internet Day – a global day of action to raise awareness of online safety and inspire more positive digital experiences for everyone.
While Australia’s new minimum age laws for social media signal progress, we’re still grappling with some wicked problems online.
Recently, our team trained with Cam Fraser from inyourskin. His message was confronting: sextortion is on the rise.
As CEO of Life Ed Queensland – and as a parent of a young boy – I was completely shocked.
The problem is real, growing, and hitting closer to home than many realise. Where once middle-aged women were most often targeted, teenage boys are now among those most at risk.
Research shows one in ten Australian adolescents have already been targeted. The emotional impact on young people and their families is devastating.
It can happen incredibly fast. Sometimes within hours. Predators move quickly: they scan social profiles, pick up details about a teen’s school or sport, pose as a peer and begin building trust. They use AI-generated images to manipulate and entrap their victims – often demanding illicit photos, then money.
This chilling reenactment video, Noah, is based on a real case and shows how easily sextortion can unfold:
Even with actors, it’s difficult to watch – but I urge parents to view it with their tweens or teens. It’s a tough, but vital conversation to have. Awareness can make all the difference.
At Life Ed Queensland, we believe that education is our strongest defence.
We’re committed to helping children recognise danger online, know how to respond and most importantly – to report it.
If you need more information or practical advice, these resources can help:
Because every child deserves to feel safe online – and every parent deserves to know how to help make that happen.
* A 2025 Australian Institute of Criminology and eSafety study of 1,953 adolescents (16–18 years) found that more than one in ten had experienced sexual extortion in their lifetime (11.3%).
