Sexual extortion is a form of blackmail in which a perpetrator threatens to release intimate material of a victim unless they comply with certain demands. This paper examines the prevalence and nature of sexual extortion among adolescents and finds more than one in 10 had experienced sexual extortion in their lifetime.

This is a guide to responding to children and young people’s disclosures of abuse and maltreatment. It also outlines how, why and when children and young people are likely to disclose abuse and provides information to help individuals respond to these disclosures. The guide is for family members, friends, other adults and professionals.

An investigation into complaints about how the Victorian Department of Education and a government primary school responded to allegations of sexual abuse of two children. It found that the Department’s response to the allegations and disclosures of sexual abuse at the time was inadequate, and in some respects seriously so.

This statistical report describes the 9,101 alleged sexual offenders proceeded against by police in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory in 2022–23. The offenders were proceeded against for offences involving a total of 8,873 identified victims.

Given increasing use of the internet by minors and their vulnerability to technology-facilitated offending, understanding the impacts of sexual extortion is crucial in guiding interventions that protect children. This systematic review finds that sexual extortion is a significant online threat to children and that victims suffer diverse short and long-term harms. The findings support targeted...