People have long understood the benefits of blackmail. Both ordinary people and the powers that be were engaged in this type of extortion. Our time is no exception. Even the closest and dearest people blackmail each other from time to time. From early childhood, the mother tells the baby: “If you collect the toys, I’ll turn on the cartoon!” For a schoolchild, a phrase familiar to everyone sounds: “If you do your homework quickly, then you can go for a walk!” Without even thinking much about it, we blackmail our own children.
They immediately pick up on their mother’s behavior and also begin to manipulate: “Turn on the cartoon, then I’ll eat!” or “I’ll go to the store if I can get some change!” This blackmail is innocent, and its only purpose is to perform some actions or achieve simple goals. In the lives of adults, everything is much more complicated. Many people are blackmailed and receive serious psychological trauma by independently giving the necessary information into the hands of blackmailers. At the same time, completely unaware that they are being helped.
Globalization of information
If in the old days a blackmailer had to work diligently, tracking down and collecting information about the victim bit by bit, now all possibilities are open to dishonest people. Having the Internet, you can find out all the information about a potential client in a matter of minutes. People diligently post their photographs, personal data, information about their place of work, study, and even their phone number on the Internet.
From the displayed photos you can learn about the way of life, level of well-being, get information about your personal life, and types of recreation. All this information is available to anyone. Moreover, a future blackmailer, having created a page on social networks under a false name, may well communicate in a friendly manner with a future client, finding out the missing information in the conversation.
How to behave with a blackmailer?
You should not try to negotiate with a blackmailer. Such people act on the principle of hit or miss. Beliefs won't help .
However, you can try to come to an agreement only in one case - if you want to prolong your communication in order to simply gain precious time and provide information about the blackmailer to law enforcement agencies.
Never listen to what a blackmailer tells you.
He will begin to convince you that it is in your best interests to bring him money and that your relatives will be saddened if they find out that such information about you has been spread. Don't listen to these words. In fact, everything is extremely simple - the blackmailer is trying to influence your psychology using pressure and persuasion. Don't fall for this kind of behavior. Build your line and stick to it.
Definition of “blackmail”
In Art. 163 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides a clear definition of this concept. Its various types are also listed and ways of influencing the victim are described. So, blackmail is the threat of disseminating some information about a person that could compromise him, information that the subject would like to keep secret and not disclose to others. The usual purpose of blackmail is extortion of money and material goods. But there are also demands for position or other personal gain.
Blackmail is a criminal method of using obtained information about the personal life or professional activities of a target, about misdeeds he once committed, some kind of fraud, or hiding money from work colleagues. There are many types of blackmail.
How to recognize an emotional manipulator?
Giving in to blackmail, no matter how much you value the relationship, will cost you more. The blackmailer will feel his power and will manipulate you daily. If you are being blackmailed, you need to learn how to resist it. First, learn to clearly recognize “emotional pressure” in the behavior of loved ones. Answer the questions: Do your loved ones do the following:
- Do they promise to make your life difficult if you don't comply with their demands?
- Are they threatening to break off your relationship if you don't give in to them?
- Do they say that they will be indifferent to their health or will commit suicide?
- Look depressed when you don't do what they want you to do?
- Constantly ignore/not consider your needs and desires?
- Do you make generous promises, linking their fulfillment to your “correct” behavior, but rarely follow through?
- Do they accuse you of being selfish, uncaring, greedy, insensitive, or uncaring if you don't do what they want?
- Do they shower you with praise when you give in and are offended when you do things your way?
- Do they appeal to a sense of pride, self-esteem, professional competence?
If you answered “yes” to even one question, you are being blackmailed!
Types of blackmail
Violence or coercive influence on a person can be physical and psychological. When physically exposed, there is a threat to the life of the person himself, his family or close people. With psychological pressure, the emotional state, comfort and tranquility are threatened. Blackmail is used in politics, business, and in everyday life.
There is blackmail on behalf of others, when the blackmailer acts secretly or through an intermediary. The person has no idea who is doing the extortion. Each type of blackmail is disclosed in Art. 163 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It also provides detailed information on penalties for committing this type of crime, depending on the degree of damage caused to a person - both moral and material.
Any type of blackmail is dangerous for society and poses a real threat to humans. It is necessary to fight this phenomenon and try to give less information about yourself to criminals. Before you post a photo or post on social media, consider whether it contains information that could be used by people looking to make extra money.
Social danger
Of course, blackmail is dangerous . Its main danger lies, first of all, in the fact that it corrupts society.
More and more people, having felt the taste of easy money, are trying to get their hands on it.
Another dangerous consequence of blackmail is the violation of the moral peace of citizens. After all, every unfulfilled demand of the blackmailer threatens family discord and other not the most pleasant consequences.
The most important social consequence is the decomposition of a person’s personality and pressure on his psyche . After such an incident, people become withdrawn and not sociable. They stop moving in society and withdraw into themselves.
After the dissemination or threat of dissemination of unpleasant facts about him, a person begins to think that everyone around him knows or, at least, guesses, points and laughs. Such behavior leads to all kinds of mental illnesses .
In some cases, blackmail leads to suicide.
The incident in Ryazan will remain in the memory of local citizens for a long time. A sixteen-year-old girl met a group of guys somewhat older than herself. As is usual with girls, I fell in love with the most unhinged hooligan of all.
The lifestyle of her chosen one seemed romantic to her, but in reality it consisted of daily assaults in dark alleys for the purpose of robbery, and then drunkenness.
At one of the drunken parties, the girl drank too much, and in the morning she was looking at too explicit photos on her boyfriend’s phone.
The young man grinned disgustingly and stated that he demanded a certain amount every week in exchange for the photos not being published.
Love didn’t work out, but it turned out to be a very instructive story, the main character of which, fearing the punishment of her parents and the condemnation of everyone around her, began to regularly steal money from her loved ones and give it to her boyfriend.
When the relatives realized where the money was going and demanded an explanation, the girl completely withdrew into herself. Threats that the payment deadline had come and there were no funds followed immediately. After being between two fires for a couple of days and not finding the right solution, the girl swallowed sleeping pills. It was not possible to save her.
The photo was never seen, but the unlucky blackmailer was charged with incitement to suicide.
Psychological blackmail
The most common type of blackmail is the threat of disseminating information that a person would like to hide (discrediting him, capable of harming him). As a result of various methods of blackmail, a person receives severe psychological trauma and his peace is disturbed. They can blackmail you with knowledge about the adoption of a child. At the same time, naturally, parents do not want the child to know that he is not their own. In such cases, the family will be forced to leave this city and move to another place.
The reason for blackmail can be disgraceful information or ugly misdeeds committed by a person in life; very often, attackers threaten to tell the wife about her husband’s infidelity (and vice versa), or the boss about financial fraud. Sometimes a blackmailer may threaten to release defamatory information in order to create a negative image of a given subject, especially if this is a public figure. Even if a lie is revealed, people's opinions have already been formed, and it can be very difficult to protect a good name. This often happens to stars, musicians, and politicians. There have been cases when, as a result of nervous shock, a person committed suicide.
How to react?
Blackmail should not go unanswered. If such behavior is allowed, it will soon become acceptable in society, and everyone will consider it their duty to enrich themselves from someone else’s misfortune. We don't need such a reassessment of values in society, so let's look together at the importance of responding to such behavior.
Of course, your first reaction will be shock. Shock, first of all, to all actions that are carried out in your direction. Then it will be replaced by panic.
You should not panic under any circumstances, because more than ninety percent of the wrong decisions made in this situation were made as a result of a powerful panic attack and fear.
You must pull yourself together and mentally talk through the whole situation to yourself. So, you are being blackmailed, this is bad. However, what is the way out of this difficult situation? Of course, it is necessary to report to law enforcement agencies . You will have to be a little frank and tell law enforcement officers about the information that they are threatening to show to the world.
You must draw up a statement and testify about the person who is directly blackmailing you. Only after this can you easily calm down and wait for the result. If you know the offender and you have copies of your correspondence, a recording of a conversation or a witness who will confirm the fact of blackmail, then the deal is in the bag.
Political blackmail
This type of extortion flourishes among politicians and prominent public figures. Political blackmail is a widespread phenomenon in these circles of society. With the help of available incriminating evidence, career advancement is made, material well-being increases, and voting issues for a particular bill are resolved.
There are different methods. Attackers both openly express their demands and enter into secret agreements, commit bribes and manipulate this or that politician or prominent figure to realize their desires and promote their business. Often, you simply need to provide a service to the blackmailer.
Physical violence
The most terrible type of blackmail is a threat to the health and life of a person or people dear to him. Here they can also act in different ways: the hidden form manifests itself in the form of written threats, the direct form is actual violence. Often such crimes are organized by a whole group of criminals. Criminals plan everything in advance and prepare carefully. They collect information about the person, choose the appropriate field of activity, the right time when the person can be taken by surprise.
Requirements may vary. For example, transfer an apartment or a car to a person, transfer a sum of money to a bank account, etc. In modern society, blackmail is a way of making easy money at the expense of others. Every year the number of victims of such crimes increases.
How to get rid of a blackmailer?
In order to get rid of the blackmailer, you can simply ignore him. Yes, of course, in a fit of anger he will throw out his anger along with information, but he will not be able to do anything more in your direction. An instructive incident occurred in Moscow.
After drinking heavily at a party with colleagues, one decent family man remembered practically nothing in the morning. Naturally, he did not make it home, but fell asleep in the office on the sofa. An employee standing nearby hinted at a stormy night.
The family man began to say in horror that he could not cheat on his wife. Rushing home, he began to talk about how he fell asleep from fatigue. At this time, his pretty colleague began calling on the phone and demanding a significant sum of money to save the family. She said that she had revealing photos and videos and they could see the light of day.
The family man did not want to take money from his children and, after being depressed for several days, decided to take a risk and told his colleague that she could begin her attack - she would not wait for the money.
One time, a colleague called the wife of a family man and spewed complete nonsense, which the married woman did not believe, because trust comes first in this family.
And later everything calmed down completely. The colleague simply didn’t have any photos or videos.
What to do in case of blackmail?
The most important thing that any person should know comes down to this: in the event of blackmail, one should not give in to panic. You need to think carefully, calm your nerves and be sure to seek professional help from a lawyer. If a person does not want to publicly disclose information about himself, then he can completely trust an experienced lawyer. If the object of blackmail decides to reveal his secret and punish the blackmailer, then you must boldly go to the police station. The criminal will be charged under the article for blackmail.
If an offense was committed at the workplace, then confessing to the boss is always better than helping the attacker. If he earns money like this once, he will not stop and will continue to threaten you or someone else. An experienced lawyer will help you draw up a correct statement of claim and protect your rights in court.
Six stages of emotional blackmail
All types of blackmail follow the same scenario and include six stages:
- aggressor's demand;
- opponent's resistance;
- pressure on the opponent;
- the anger of the aggressor;
- opponent's consent;
- repetition of the situation.
These are mandatory conditions for any blackmail, which are unknowingly fulfilled by the participants, and then everything starts all over again. If this vicious circle is not broken, then everything can continue for many months, which will lead to the destruction of a person’s mental and physical health.
Punishment of blackmailers
Blackmail is a criminal activity that, through coercion, intimidation and the threat of other harm to a person, allows the blackmailer to achieve some benefit for himself. For any criminal actions, the law provides for criminal liability. In this case, the punishment is chosen depending on the severity of the crime.
Blackmail for the purpose of obtaining money is classified as extortion and is punished accordingly. What punishment is awarded for a specific type of crime? All measures are described in detail in Article No. 163 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
The article for blackmail implies different types of liability depending on the severity of the injury, mental or physical. It is also taken into account whether a simple extortion of money has been committed or whether there is a serious crime. For a minimal offense, the blackmailer will pay a fine of 100 or 200 minimum wages. For blackmail with serious consequences, you will have to answer strictly - serving a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
