Trigger warning: this article is about topics which are disturbing.

Pearl Lorentzen
Lakeside Leader

‘Sextortion’ is “not just an American thing,” said Heidi DeBusschere, at a violence prevention workshop in Slave Lake on Nov. 24.

Sextortion is blackmailing someone using intimate photos or videos.

DeBusschere’s presentation includes the following statistics about sextortion rates in Alberta. Between Dec. 2021 and May 2022 it increased by 150 per cent. Cybertip.ca receives an average of 168 sextortion reports a month and received over 600 between July and August 2022. Of the victims, 87 per cent were young boys or male teenagers.

DeBusschere, from The Dragonfly Centre was one of three speakers at a free workshop on Nov. 24. The topics were very heavy – online child sexual exploitation (OCSE), responding to disclosure of sexual assault, and strangulation identification.

None of these topics are things people want to think about, but the abusers are the ones who gain if these crimes are hidden.

One participant said afterward, the content had made her lose faith in humanity, but then she remembered that everyone in the room was there to try to make a difference, which encouraged her.

Thankfully, there are people in Slave Lake who are trained to respond and help survivors. These include Dragonfly, Northern Haven Support Society, and Slave Lake Victim Services.

Dragonfly provides free counseling and other supports to victims of sexual violence and exploitation in northern Alberta, including Slave Lake, Wabasca, the M.D. of Lesser Slave River, M.D. of Opportunity, and the First Nations within these borders.

Victim Services supports victims of crime in Slave Lake through the court system. Its office is in the Slave Lake RCMP detachment.

Northern Haven shelter houses and supports women (and their children) fleeing domestic violence. Its community services branch supports women and men (and their children) fleeing domestic violence. Northern Haven outreach teaches violence prevention in the schools and has other community events to raise awareness about violence prevention and ways to leave.

The workshops were organized by Slave Lake Victims Services and the Slave Lake RCMP. Northern Haven staff attended and provided coffee and muffins in the morning.

Two employees from Dragonfly Centre spoke in the morning. In the afternoon, registered nurse Morag McLean spoke about her work helping victims of strangulation at women’s shelters in Edmonton area (see article on Page 8).

There were around 50 people registered, and close to that many attended. Attendees were connected with the Slave Lake Crown’s office, Children’s Services, Victim Services board members, and other support services in Slave Lake.

Returning to the topic of sextortion, often the offenders receive the images or videos through ‘sexting’ (texting or otherwise sending sexual content).

Dragonfly highlighted the importance of consent when it comes to any sexual activity including sexting.
“Consent is always revocable,” said DeBusschere.

An acronym to help with this is FRIES: “ ‘Freely Given’ without manipulation or influence of drugs or alcohol. ‘Revocable’ can be taken back at any point. Even, if you’ve done it before, even if you already started. ‘Informed,’ need to have all the information, be of sound mind and body, which includes age. ‘Enthusiastic’ you should agree to do what YOU want to do. ‘Specific’ you need consent for each act.”

Another key is “it is never the child or youth’s fault for sending it (the image or video),” added DeBusschere. It is very important to avoid “victim blaming.”

It is also wrong for someone who receives a ‘sext’ to send it to someone else without the person’s permission. This is a breach of consent.

It is illegal to access, possess, make or distribute child porn in Canada.

The Canada Criminal code defines any sexual image or video of a person under the age of 18 as child pornography. Also, any written material which promotes sexual activity which would be illegal under the Criminal Code.

Age also impacts consent.

According to the law in Canada, the Dragonfly presentation says, “Children under 12 cannot consent to sexual activity. Children 12 and 13 may consent to sexual activity with someone less than two years older. Children 14 and 15 may consent to sexual activity with someone less than five years older. Children over 16 can consent to sexual activity with anyone.”

However, power dynamics such as being a teacher or other person in leadership impact consent for children over 16.

The presentation also covered other forms of sexual exploitation including the online grooming process and sexual assault.

There is “no profile of a typical sexual assault victim,” said the presenter. Two in three girls and one in three boys in Alberta will be sexually assaulted before they turn 18. However, 95 per cent of child sexual abuse are not reported to an official service.

All adult Albertans are required to report any abuse of children they suspect or can confirm, this includes sexual abuse.

“Abusers are almost always someone the child knows,” added the presenter. This is true in 88 per cent of cases.

When it comes to prevention, children need to know that “not everyone online has the best intentions,” said DeBusschere. She encourages parents to be “monitoring, but not taking over their social media.”

The role of technology in children’s sexual education and exploration has increased and will continue to increase.

The signs of victimization of sexual abuse, including sextortion, mirror other forms of distress.

“Feelings matter,” said DuBuscchere. Parents, teachers, and other adults in a child’s life should pay attention to the child’s increased or lack of emotions, if they are being secretive, unexplained gifts or new friends, or if they are avoiding things or people that they usually enjoy.

“Trust your gut,” she added.

Dragonfly has many other resources to help people respond to disclosure of sexual abuse.