Something happened? Start here

Someone is threatening to share a picture

1. The blackmailer is responsible, not your child

   NCMEC says the person making the threat is the one committing the crime, even if your child sent a photo or made a choice they regret.

   NCMEC: Sextortion

2. Get help before anyone pays or does what they ask

   NCMEC says to get help before you decide whether to pay or otherwise comply. Cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail.

   NCMEC: Sextortion

3. Block the account, and do not delete it

   Block the suspect. Do not delete the profile or the messages. NCMEC says that record can help stop the blackmailer. An NCMEC parent article says the same about not wiping the phone in a panic.

   NCMEC: Sextortion

4. Report the account on the app

   Use the app's own safety or report tool. NCMEC also points families to its page on reporting explicit content to the companies involved.

   NCMEC: Is your explicit content out there?

5. Report to the CyberTipline

   Make a report at report.cybertip.org. NCMEC also lists the CyberTipline at missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline. You can call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678), 24 hours a day. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. We do not file the report for you.

   CyberTipline

6. You can also report sextortion to the FBI

   You can also report sextortion to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

   FBI tips

7. Use Take It Down for real or AI-made images of someone under 18

   Take It Down is free and can be used without your name, including from outside the US. NCMEC says it covers nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images or videos of someone under 18, whether real or GAI-created. The image has to be on that person's own device. A hash is created there, and the image is not uploaded. Participating platforms can use that hash to look for the image or video on their public or unencrypted services. That is not a guarantee the image will come down, and it only applies on participating platforms that are public or unencrypted. Do not download or share images in order to submit them. If the person was 18 or older when the image was taken, use stopncii.org instead. Threats and sextortion still go to the CyberTipline. Questions: TakeItDown@ncmec.org.

   Take It Down

8. Tell your child they are not in trouble for telling you

   Say it in plain words, before you ask for the whole story. NCMEC's guidance is to ask for help. A parent account published by NCMEC describes hugging the child and saying you will handle it together.

   NCMEC parent article

Take It Down FAQ: takeitdown.ncmec.org/faq. CyberTipline page: missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline. 988 home: 988lifeline.org. Youth page: help-yourself/youth. If the image was taken at 18 or older: stopncii.org.

A stranger asked for photos, or to meet

NCMEC describes sextortion offenders moving a child from one app to another, asking for sexual images quickly, and using pressure. If that is what is happening, use the sextortion steps above and the CyberTipline. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

• Report exploitation to the CyberTipline

  Use report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If a meetup is about to happen or your child is in danger, call 911.

  CyberTipline

You're worried about self-harm

If there is immediate danger, call 911. In the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free and confidential, 24 hours a day, every day. Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org/chat. There is no separate teen-only number. This page is not medical or mental-health care, and we do not contact 988 for you.

• Call or text 988

  Call or text 988, or open the chat at 988lifeline.org/chat. Spanish: call 988 and press 2, or text AYUDA to 988. Veterans and service members: press 1, or text 838255. TTY: dial 711, then 988. The youth page on the lifeline site encourages teens to call, text, or chat and to make a safety plan. It does not list a separate teen line.

  988 chat

• Call 911 if the danger is immediate

  The CyberTipline page says to call 911 or local police if you or someone you know is in immediate danger. StopBullying.gov says the same when there has been a crime or someone is at immediate risk of harm.

  CyberTipline immediate-danger note

Bullying or a cruel group chat

StopBullying.gov says: don't respond to or forward cyberbullying messages, keep evidence (dates, times, screenshots), block the person, and report it to the app. Threats of violence or sexual images should be reported to law enforcement. If it involves school, contact the teacher, school counselor, or principal.

• Document it and report it

  Keep a copy of what was sent, then report it on the app and, if it involves school, to the adults at school named above.

  StopBullying.gov: How to report cyberbullying

• Read what counts as cyberbullying

  StopBullying.gov describes cyberbullying as mean, false, or private content sent or posted through phones, apps, texts, and games. That page was last reviewed by the agency on 7 Oct 2024.

  StopBullying.gov: What is cyberbullying