Sexual Extortion & Young People: Navigating Threats in Digital Environments
Survey of 1,200 US young people aged 13-20 (fielded September-October 2024, following expert interviews) on lived experience of sextortion, including the role of deepfake and AI-generated imagery. Documents prevalence, disproportionate impact on LGBTQ+ youth, and self-harm outcomes.
Publisher
Thorn (with Burson Insights, Data & Intelligence)
Published
24 Jun 2025
Added
today
DOI
—
Key Findings
- About 1 in 5 surveyed teens reported a lived experience of sextortion; LGBTQ+ youth reported roughly double the rate
- 1 in 8 sextortion victims reported being threatened with a deepfake made of them
- About 1 in 7 victims (28% among LGBTQ+ youth) were driven to self-harm
Methodology Notes
Survey-based youth research report (published 24 June 2025). n=1,200 US young people 13-20, fielded 27 Sept-7 Oct 2024, preceded by 16 expert interviews. Self-report limitations apply.
Sources
Thorn research report (primary)
Archived snapshot (Wayback Machine) — preserved against link rot
Tags
Cite This
APA
Thorn (with Burson Insights, Data & Intelligence) (2025). Sexual Extortion & Young People: Navigating Threats in Digital Environments. Thorn (with Burson Insights, Data & Intelligence). https://www.thorn.org/research/library/sexual-extortion-young-people/
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