“We Live Day by Day Now:” A Qualitative Analysis of Minor-Focused Sextortion Victim-Survivor Impact Statements
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2026
Keywords
image-based sexual abuse, child exploitation, victimization, sextortion, victim impacts
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
http://doi.org/10.1891/VV-2025-0058
Abstract
Sextortion is a form of image-based sexual abuse in which an offender threatens to distribute a victim’s intimate, sexual images, videos, or information unless the victim complies with the offender’s demands. Sextortion crimes in which minors are targeted by adult strangers online continue to be a priority area for law enforcement. Despite growing awareness, there is a dearth of studies that investigate the psychological and emotional impact this specific form of sextortion has on youth victim-survivors and their parents, who are secondary victims of this crime. The current study utilized a sample of 29 victim impact statements from 9 federal court cases in which minor children were sextorted by stranger adults online to explore, in their own words, the reported psychosocial impacts on victim-survivors and their parents. Findings reveal shared themes across both groups, including trauma associated with disclosure, experiences of loss, personal transformation, and the challenges of moving forward after sextortion victimization.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Violence and Victims, v. 0, no. 0
Scholar Commons Citation
O'Malley, Roberta and Holt, Karen, "“We Live Day by Day Now:” A Qualitative Analysis of Minor-Focused Sextortion Victim-Survivor Impact Statements" (2026). Criminology Faculty Publications. 82.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cjp_facpub/82
