{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,6]],"date-time":"2026-11-06T13:02:29Z","timestamp":1793970149273,"version":"4.8.0"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]],"date-time":"2024-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1727222400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Trauma, Violence, &amp; Abuse"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Sextortion refers to making threats to share nude or sexual images to coerce the victim into complying with certain demands, such as paying a ransom, sharing intimate images, or engaging in unwanted acts. Sextortion occurs in a diverse range of contexts, including intimate partner abuse, cyberbullying, sexuality or sex worker \u201couting,\u201d online dating, \u201ccybersex,\u201d sex trafficking, online sexual exploitation of children, computer hacking, and organized crime. Despite the heightened media focus, few studies have measured the prevalence, nature, and impacts of sextortion. We conducted a scoping review with the aim of providing a comprehensive overview of existing empirical research on sextortion victimization and perpetration among youth and adults. In total, 24 studies were identified based on predefined eligibility criteria. We found that studies focusing on youth reported prevalence ranging from 0.7% to 5.0%, while studies involving adults ranged from 4.0% to 18.7%. The review found that young people and sexual minorities are more likely to experience victimization, while men, young people, and sexual minorities are more likely to self-report engaging in sextortion offending. The review found that perpetrators are more likely to be intimate partners or other known persons as opposed to strangers and that there was an overlap between sextortion perpetration and victimization. Finally, we also found that sextortion can result in significant harms, and that reporting and help-seeking remain very low due to shame, fear, and negative perceptions of police and digital platforms. The findings highlight existing gaps and provide recommendations for future research, policy, and practice.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/15248380241277271","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,26]],"date-time":"2024-09-26T14:17:45Z","timestamp":1727360265000},"page":"138-155","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":84,"title":["Sextortion: A Scoping Review"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-6968-3569","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alana","family":"Ray","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2241-7985","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicola","family":"Henry","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). (2023). Report of the ACCC on scams activity 2022. https:\/\/www.accc.gov.au\/system\/files\/Targeting%20scams%202022.pdf"},{"key":"bibr2-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Australian Communications and Media Authority and Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner. (2023). Annual report 2022\u201323. https:\/\/www.esafety.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-10\/ACMA-and-eSafety-Commissoner-annual-report-2022-23.pdf"},{"key":"bibr3-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01639625.2021.1988760"},{"key":"bibr4-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Caarten A. B., van Heugten L., Merkle O. (2022). The intersection of corruption and gender-based violence: Examining the gendered experiences of sextortion during migration to South Africa. African Journal of Reproductive Health, 26(6), 4. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.29063\/ajrh2022\/v26i6.6"},{"key":"bibr5-15248380241277271","unstructured":"*Canadian Centre for Child Protection. (2022). An analysis of financial sextortion victim posts published on r\/Sestortion. https:\/\/content.c3p.ca\/pdfs\/C3P_AnalysisOfFinanSextortionPostsReddit_en.pdf"},{"key":"bibr6-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Crew J. (2022, May 20). Sextortion is the most-reported issue to revenge porn helpline\u2014But what is it? Independent. https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/life-style\/women\/what-is-sextortion-revenge-porn-hepline-b2083502.html"},{"key":"bibr7-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15564886.2022.2075064"},{"key":"bibr8-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/17488958221149581"},{"key":"bibr9-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15564886.2021.2022057"},{"key":"bibr10-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jeconc.2023.100038"},{"key":"bibr11-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2022.34471"},{"key":"bibr12-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2023.106020"},{"key":"bibr13-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Foster A. (2023, January 16). Australian teenagers targeted by sick sextortion scams. News.com.au. https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/technology\/online\/security\/australian-teenagers-targeted-by-sick-sextortion-scams\/news-story\/ae6975b8308917f611b03fa99bd2b0d9"},{"key":"bibr14-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2021.106728"},{"key":"bibr15-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jad.12064"},{"key":"bibr16-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s13178-022-00775-y"},{"key":"bibr17-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13552600.2021.1894493"},{"key":"bibr18-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/23322705.2022.2034378"},{"key":"bibr19-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781473999008"},{"key":"bibr20-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"*Henry N., Flynn A., Powell A. (2019). Image-based sexual abuse: Victims and perpetrators. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 572, 1\u201319. https:\/\/www.aic.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/202005\/imagebased_sexual_abuse_victim_and_perpetrators.pdf","DOI":"10.52922\/ti09975"},{"key":"bibr21-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/10778012221114918"},{"key":"bibr22-15248380241277271","volume-title":"Image-based sexual abuse: A study on the causes and consequences of non-consensual nude or sexual imagery","author":"*Henry N.","year":"2020"},{"key":"bibr23-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2024.108298"},{"key":"bibr24-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Howard T. (2019). Sextortion: Psychological effects experienced and seeking help and reporting among emerging adults (Publication No. 6584). [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. https:\/\/scholarworks.waldenu.edu\/dissertations\/6584"},{"key":"bibr25-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2022.107593"},{"key":"bibr26-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tele.2016.04.004"},{"key":"bibr27-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Lybrand H. (2022, December 19). Justice department warns of dramatic increase in \u201csextortion\u201d schemes targeting boys. CNN. https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2022\/12\/19\/politics\/justice-department-sextortion\/index.html"},{"key":"bibr28-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17482798.2020.1848892"},{"key":"bibr29-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13552600.2019.1692920"},{"key":"bibr30-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12874-018-0611-x"},{"key":"bibr31-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Nilsson M. G., Tzani-Pepelasis C., Ioannou M. (2019). Understanding the link between sextortion and suicide. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 13(1), 55\u201369. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5281\/zenodo.3402357"},{"key":"bibr32-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260520909186"},{"key":"bibr33-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Owen C. (2023, August 4). Sextortion continues to rise with Netsafe wanting to prevent tragic outcomes. Stuff. https:\/\/www.stuff.co.nz\/national\/crime\/300940390\/sextortion-continues-to-rise-with-etsafe-wanting-to-prevent-tragic-outcomes"},{"key":"bibr34-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.3315984"},{"key":"bibr35-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/3318041.3355466"},{"key":"bibr36-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1079063218800469"},{"key":"bibr37-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10560-016-0455-3"},{"key":"bibr38-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1057\/978-1-137-58047-4"},{"key":"bibr39-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260516672055"},{"key":"bibr40-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Powell A., Scott A. J., Flynn A., McCook S. (2022a). Perpetration of image-based sexual abuse: Extent, nature and correlates in a multi-country. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(23\u201324), NP22864\u2013NP22889. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/088626052110722","DOI":"10.1177\/08862605211072266"},{"key":"bibr41-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13552600.2022.2119292"},{"key":"bibr42-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2018.11.009"},{"key":"bibr43-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2023.107879"},{"key":"bibr44-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/15248380231194072"},{"key":"bibr45-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Richards A. (2023, October 22). Snapchat sextortion victim speaks out as figures reveal complaints have tripled across Australia. 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Saint Mary\u2019s University Library. https:\/\/library2.smu.ca\/bitstream\/handle\/01\/29020\/Trendell_Sydney_MASTERS_209pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1"},{"key":"bibr51-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12874-016-0116-4"},{"key":"bibr52-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11417-019-09293-0"},{"key":"bibr53-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10538712.2022.2067093"},{"key":"bibr54-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Whitehurst L. (2022, December 20). FBI: Steep climb in teens targeted by online \u201csextortion.\u201d AP News. https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/children-suicide-teens-09dc20825bca53b636aba76f5aed3a1e"},{"key":"bibr55-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1089\/cyber.2011.0352"},{"key":"bibr56-15248380241277271","unstructured":"Wittes B., Poplin C., Jurecic Q., Spera C. (2016). Sextortion: Cybersecurity, teenagers, and remote sexual assault (pp. 1\u201347). Centre for Technology Innovation at Brookings. https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/sextortion1-1.pdf"},{"key":"bibr57-15248380241277271","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jadohealth.2017.08.014"},{"key":"bibr58-15248380241277271","unstructured":"*Wolak J., Finkelhor D., Walsh W., Finkelhor D. (2016). Sextortion: Keys findings from an online survey of 1,631 victims. 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