Author's Note & Context:
This blog post examines how generative AI can be weaponized to create convincing explicit images, fuel online blackmail, and deepen the shame and isolation experienced by young people. It calls for victim-centred responses, trusted adult support, and shared responsibility for keeping children safe online.
“Alright, calm down. You and I are the only ones who know she didn’t actually send those explicit photos – it’s just AI. They look too real for anyone to notice anyway...”
It is exactly 8:15 AM, and the first class has just ended. A girl runs past me in the school hallway, covering her crying face with her hands. While others walk by without noticing, I knew something was deeply wrong. Later, she trusted me enough to share what she was going through and showed me the threatening messages she had been receiving.
My name is Nikolina Živković, and I am a 15-year-old UNICEF Young Reporter from Montenegro. Through my radio show, Youth Do It Better, I try to give space to stories that too often remain unheard – because every young person deserves to be heard and protected.
The nightmare began online, in a space where many of us seek connection. She had been messaging someone she genuinely believed was a peer, but the profile turned out to be completely fake. The person behind it used generative AI tools to manipulate her normal photos, creating explicit images that looked incredibly real. Soon after, the threats started: she was told that if she did not comply with their demands, the photos would be made public.
Terrified and overwhelmed by shame, she spent a week carrying this heavy secret alone. She blamed herself for trusting the person behind the profile, hoping the threats would not be carried out, and feeling convinced there was no one she could turn to who would understand her pain. But the truth we must all recognize is that the responsibility and the guilt belong entirely to the person who deceived, manipulated, and threatened her.
Her isolation is a reality for many young people in our country. When experiencing digital harassment or a breach of privacy, only 5 percent of children in Montenegro turn to an institution or a trusted adult, while the majority – 60 percent – tell only their friends or tell no one at all.
When these situations come to light, the public reaction often doubles the trauma. People may blame the girl, question her choices, or speak about the family’s “shame” instead of asking who harmed her and why no one protected her. Every child deserves safety and protection simply because they are a person and a rights-holder. The shame of blackmail and abuse must lie solely with the perpetrator – never the victim.
Listening to her made me understand that speaking up matters, but so does knowing when to involve a trusted adult who can help. As peers, we should not try to act as investigators or counsellors in serious safeguarding situations. Instead, our role is to listen without judgment, refuse to spread or share manipulated images, and encourage our friends to seek professional or adult support.
If you or someone you know is facing online blackmail, it is crucial to remember that you are not to blame and you did not ask for this. Do not give in to demands, do not send money, and do not share additional photos. Instead, immediately save the evidence by taking screenshots of the messages and profiles, block the perpetrator, and report the account to the platform.
Most importantly, break the silence by turning to a parent, a school psychologist, or a trusted teacher. Safe, free, and confidential support is always available.
Change begins the moment we decide not to stay silent. By standing together and speaking out, we can ensure that the blame is placed exactly where it belongs, making it clear that no young person has to carry the burden of someone else’s malice alone.
