Schoolies 2023 Gold Coast: Authorities warn of sextortion ‘perfect storm’

Schoolies have been warned of “a perfect storm” for potential sextortion as 20,000 descend on the Gold Coast.

Schoolies have been warned of “a perfect storm” for the growing scourge of sextortion at this year’s festival of fun for Year 12 graduates on the Gold Coast.

Sextortion – where people are virtually blackmailed against the threat of having intimate photos or videos shared online, has become a growing concern in the digital age, with 1700 complaints to the eSafety Commission last year.

Some 1200 of those complaints involved young adults aged 18-24 – the major demographic for schoolies and “toolies” mingling at the Surfers Paradise festival, where some 20,000 Queensland high school graduates are expected over the next seven days.

Some 20,000 schoolies will descend on the Gold Coast over the next few weeks. Picture AAP/David Clark

Miranda Bain, the director of therapy services for national child abuse charity Act for Kids, said Schoolies Week was “a perfect storm” for teens to be caught out in a sextortion scandal.

“We know young people are more impulsive and take more risks than older adults and at Schoolies there is a lot of intoxication, people are hooking up, it’s a bit of a perfect storm,” she said.

She said the week-long event was more than enough time for people to fall prey to sextortion from someone they had either only just met, or may have started connecting with in the lead-up to Schoolies.

“Some of the sextortion can even play out weeks or months after they have gone back to their regular lives,” said Ms Bain.

She said it was important for parents to have conversations with their teenagers about the risks of sextortion and online safety “before they get on that plane or that bus”.

“Kids need to feel comfortable in saying “no” (to requests for sharing sexual or intimate images).”

Specialist child protection police units will be on hand during Schoolies to respond to any complaints of sextortion and Acting Superintendent of Gold Coast Police Peter Miles said it was important to act quickly to minimise harm and catch perpetrators.

“If someone fears that they have become a victim of sextortion we would really hope they report it to us ASAP so we can minimise any potential damage,” he said.

“And let’s get these offenders out there and before the courts.

“If you get requested, knock it back.”

The eSafety data also found 90 per cent of complaints were from males, while up to nine out of 10 instances went unreported.

Organisers are expecting 18,000-20,000 teens for the Queensland-focused opening week of Schoolies, before about 12,000 arrive from interstate next weekend.