Authorities globally have warned about a sharp increase(急剧增加) in the “sadistic(施虐狂的，残忍的) online exploitation” of young people. Amid a wave of arrests, there are growing questions about how parents can identify whether their children are the victims of such crimes and how best to support families affected by them.(在逮捕潮中，人们越来越关注家长如何识别孩子是否受害以及如何支持受影响家庭。)
全球多国当局已就针对青少年的“施虐性网络剥削”案件急剧增加发出警告。在逮捕潮的背景下，越来越多的家长开始追问：如何识别自己的孩子是否已成为此类犯罪的受害者？又该如何为受影响的家庭提供最好的支持？
Offenders in this ecosystem(生态系统，此处指犯罪网络) often use threats and manipulation, court records show(法庭记录显示), coercing(强迫，胁迫) victims into producing imagery or livestreaming sexually explicit acts, self-harm or animal cruelty. In some cases, they have “swatted” family homes – calling in a fake threat to provoke an armed police response – as part of the pressure campaign.
法庭记录显示，这一犯罪生态中的作案者常利用威胁与操纵手段，强迫受害者制作图像或直播露骨性行为、自残或虐待动物。在某些案件中，他们甚至对受害者家庭实施“报假警”（swatting）——谎报虚假威胁以诱使武装警察上门——以此作为施压手段之一。
Along with gaming platforms, these offenders may also target vulnerable young people who are engaging in digital spaces with questions about their mental health, sexual identity and other topics.(除了游戏平台，这些作案者还可能针对在数字空间中寻求心理和性身份答案的脆弱青少年。)
除了游戏平台，这些作案者还可能将目标锁定在那些带着心理健康、性身份认同等问题活跃于数字空间的脆弱青少年身上。