Image Based Sexual Abuse

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 Sept 12, 2024 -  President Biden and Vice President Harris have been committed to addressing gender-based violence in all of its forms since Day One of the Biden-Harris Administration. As we celebrate the progress made over the 30 years since the Violence Against Women Act became law, we continue to take on gender-based violence wherever it occurs, including by taking action to counter the risks and harms posed by technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). 

 Psychological research into image-based sexual abuse (IBSA; the non-consensual capture, generation, and/or sharing of intimate images) has grown exponentially over the last decade. Despite debates as to the motives to commit IBSA and the personality traits which predict somebody’s likelihood of engaging in such behaviour, what is consistent from this research are the immediate and long-lasting consequences for somebody having their intimate images shared without their consent. 

 SINGAPORE - While attending an online event hosted on video conferencing platform Zoom last year, a woman in her 30s received private messages from two other event participants who asked to see her undressed.

Although she immediately informed the event organiser, no action was taken against the senders of these messages. The woman left the event early to avoid further harassment.

This was one of the cases mentioned by the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) on Wednesday (April 20) when it released last year’s figures of technology-facilitated sexual violence.

Did someone share an intimate image of you without your OK? Or was a nude picture taken without your consent, or maybe an image you shared with someone was shared further than you’d intended? If so, you’re not alone. Many people are affected by so-called revenge porn or non-consensual pornography. If that’s happened to you or someone you know, here’s information to help you decide what to do. 

Intentional distribution of nonconsensual porn, or "revenge porn," is a type of online harassment that occurs when an ex-partner or a hacker posts sexually explicit images of a person online without their permission. Includes laws by state.

Nonconsensual pornography refers to the distribution of sexual or pornographic images of individuals without their consent. This may include images taken without consent or images taken with consent but later distributed without the consent of those in the images. These images are sometimes referred to as revenge porn.[ 

 Massachusetts - Governor Maura T. Healey today signed into law An Act to prevent abuse and exploitation, which seeks to prevent abuse and exploitation, strengthen protections for survivors, and enhance education for young people about the dangers of sexting and deepfakes. 

Online sexual exploitation of children is a serious and growing problem—fueled in part by the rise of social media—and one which educators are well positioned to help combat, say experts.  

 In January, sexually explicit fake images of Taylor Swift went viral on X. One post had over 45 million views before it was removed, according to The Verge. Teens from New Jersey to California are using artificial intelligence to create and distribute fake nudes of their classmates. In Texas, a jury awarded a woman $1.2 billion in damages after her ex-boyfriend circulated intimate images of her online after their breakup. 

A global study on the prevalence of sexual extortion among adults has found the issue to be more widespread than initially thought. The study, "Sextortion: Prevalence and correlates in 10 countries," was published in Computers in Human Behavior 

A jury ruled in favor of a Texas woman who said her ex-boyfriend had psychologically and sexually abused her by sharing intimate images of her online without her consent. 

Being the target of revenge pornography and online abuse can leave you feeling violated and powerless. But there are ways to cope with the effects of online harassment, report cybercrime, and practice safe sexting. 

Image-Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA) is a recently studied form of violence and abuse perpetrated using technology. This systematic review aims to examine and systematize studies exploring factors associated with IBSA (e.g., victimization, perpetration, and propensity to perpetrate). 

 Image-based abuse (or image-based sexual abuse) refers to the non-consensual creating, taking or sharing of intimate images (photos or videos). It also includes threats to share intimate images, the sending of explicit images to another person that are unwelcome or unwanted, or pressure or coercion into taking and/or sharing intimate images. “Intimate images” can include digitally altered images, including “deepfake non-consensual pornography” (also known as “AI-generated image-based sexual abuse). 

 Children younger than 10 are among the nearly 19,000 victims who have reported cases of image-based sexual abuse – so-called ‘revenge porn’ – to police in the last four years, Channel 4 News can reveal.  

  A virtual symposium held by Annenberg’s Center for Media at Risk and the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative brought together experts from around the world to share findings, ideas, and solidarity. 

 Image-based abuse – commonly known as ‘revenge porn’ – is a pressing issue that has affected celebrities, athletes, politicians, and private citizens alike, and it has only become more pervasive during the COVID-19 pandemic. Broadly defined as the distribution of intimate images and videos of a person without their consent, this form of abuse has often been framed in popular media as the behavior of scorned ex-partners or individuals seeking revenge. 

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  Last month, I had the opportunity to join a radio broadcast with Professor Jessica Ringrose, the lead author of a recent study about image-based harassment. This involves either receiving—in the absence of any invitation—sexual images (sometimes called “cyberflashing”) or pressure to share sexual images with others (sometimes referred to as pressured sexting), usually on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. More invasive forms of such harassment involve the nonconsensual recording of sexual activity and the distribution of such images. This is often referred to as “revenge porn,” but it occurs far more broadly than that suggests.