The UW-Platteville Dean of Students Office hosted the #StopSextortion campaign on Nov. 14 in the Markee Pioneer Student Center. In collaboration with Information Technology Services, University Police, Residence Life and University Counseling Services, the campaign hoped to spread awareness about sextortion for International Fraud Awareness week. 

Sextortion is the process of coercing money or sexual favors from someone under the threat of revealing pictures or evidence of their sexual activity. College students are the predominant victims of sextortion, which is why the Dean of Students Office believes it is so important to educate students at Platteville on how they can protect themselves. 

“The #StopSextortion campaign is really to create awareness about what sextortion is,” Rya Adler, the case manager for the Dean of Students Office said. “It’s really just raising awareness, spreading the message about where to get help and how campus and community services can support students.”

Resources are available around campus to students who have found themselves victims of a sextortion scheme, including but not limited to Counseling Services, University Police and Residence Life. Help can also be found in the IT department if anything was exchanged on a school device or email. 

Adler emphasized how important it was for students to feel comfortable not only reaching out for support with UW-Platteville resources and faculty but their own friends and family. 

Sextortion is extremely hard to identify as a third party unless someone involved reaches out. Therefore, the Dean of the Students Office believes this campaign is so important. By educating students about sextortion, they are opening the door for people to be more empathetic and show their support to others who might be going through it. 

When asked if Adler had any overarching thoughts she would like to impart to students about sextortion, she stated, “Knowledge is power,” and that just being aware that sextortion is happening can allow students to be safer and more mindful of one another.