“There’s a lot of shame associated with this so it’s really difficult for individuals to reach out. I think we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg with those who are in crisis looking for someone to help them through the situation, to intervene. There are certainly many more youth out there who are trying to manage these situations on their own.”
The perpetrators are based overseas, said Sauer. They are loosely organized, sharing strategies for luring young people who live in countries richer than their own.
Males aged 14 to 24 are the primary target.
In the months since Harry’s death, Burke said he’s learned that extortionists will go after people like Harry, who have close family and community ties, and high hopes for their future. They find these profiles by scanning social media accounts.
It is a huge challenge for police.
Reports of extortion to police increased fivefold between 2012 and 2022. But over that same period, the rate of successful police investigations has plummeted. About one in three of the cases in 2012 resulted in charges. In 2022, it was fewer than one in 10.
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“There are seriously under-resourced units that are trying to investigate these crimes,” said Sauer.
“Because of the international nature of what’s happening here, you have to really have a co-ordinated effort.”
That co-ordinated effort includes police agencies in the countries where perpetrators live, which adds another level of complication, he said. Relationships need to be developed before information is shared, and it can be difficult to navigate those networks, trying to work across different cultures.
Stopping incidents before they happen
Rather than trying to deal with the problem after it happens, Sauer suggests social media companies could do more to prevent incidents in the first place.
“We need these companies to be held accountable for what’s happening on their platform,” he said.
“They don’t do any age verification. They really don’t do any verification of accounts. They don’t have any prevention things in place to ensure that people can’t recreate accounts once they’ve been kicked off the platform.”
Burke agrees that social media companies could be doing far more to ensure the safety of their product.
“These guys have an exorbitant amount of funds to do these sorts of things,” said Burke.
“It’s keeping our kids safe, and they can do that.”
But Burke isn’t letting governments off the hook, either. He notes that playground equipment and toys are heavily regulated to ensure their safety and says the same should be done for smartphones and social media platforms.
The situation is urgent, said Sauer.
“This is truly killing our kids, this epidemic, so we need to get out ahead of this,” he said, noting his group saw reports rise eight-fold from 2018 to 2022.
“We’re in an epidemic of online sextortion. The numbers seem to rise year after year in terms of the number of victims who are coming in to us.”
Getting into the schools
There is one other avenue of prevention that Burke and Lavers would like to see pursued: better education for youth about the risks.
That could start in the schools. Burke says he is aware that police are running education programs, but he believes a personal story — his family’s story — would have a bigger impact. And he is ready to take that on.
“To actually put a face and a name on what has taken place, it really hits home,” he said.
The P.E.I. Legislature is taking a step toward ensuring Harry’s story is not forgotten.
A private member’s bill brought forward by Souris-Elmira MLA Robin Croucher would see April 25, the anniversary of Harry Burke’s death, be proclaimed Cyberbullying Awareness Day.
The bill passed third reading unanimously on Thursday. Croucher hopes it is given royal assent in time for it to be recognized next month.
“It’s important to have a day marked,” said Burke.
“I hope it brings meaning to Harry’s name. Harry wanted to make changes in Canada. Maybe this is his way.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where to get help:
- Cypertip: a resource covering sextortion and other online harms.
- Canada’s Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988.
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868. Text 686868. Live chat counselling on the website.
- Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.
- This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you’re worried about.
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