Netsafe’s chief online safety officer, Sean Lyons, said young people in such cases often tried to deal with it alone, but parents should make it clear they would not judge.
“It’s good to make a plan as a family, tell them ‘I don’t care how you got here ... if you’re in trouble this is what we do as a family, this is how we’ll handle it, you can come to us, you can talk to us, if it’s too embarrassing to talk to us directly here’s the person in the family, or the family friend that you can go to.’”
ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking) New Zealand director Eleanor Parkes said the sheer number of McCartney’s victims was “really scary”, but that his approach - such as using templates to be able to reply to his victims at speed - was increasingly common.
“You get the sense that, for a lot of them, this isn’t something they’ve only done once, it might not be something they’re new to.
“They know exactly what to say, how to get those young children completely panicked that their reputation is ruined and their life is over, with these photos out in the public domain with their friends and family seeing them.”
Parkes said it was unlikely that young people would ever stop sending nude photos.
“It’s just what they use the internet for ... so it’s really about people knowing how to respond to [blackmailing] and making sure they can go to parents, get that support, go to the police, come to an organisation like ECPAT or Netsafe, who can support them through the next steps.”
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SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION
Where to get help:
•
Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
•
Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906
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Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
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What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
•
Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737
•
Aoake te Rā (Bereaved by Suicide Service): Call 0800 000 053
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.