Revenge Porn Research Articles

‘It’s Torture for the Soul’: The Harms of Image-Based Sexual Abuse

Beyond ‘scandals’ and the public testimonies of victim-survivors, surprisingly little is known about the nature and extent of the harms of ‘image-based sexual abuse’, a term that includes all non-consensual taking and/or sharing of nude or sexual images. Accordingly, this article examines the findings from the first cross-national qualitative study on this issue, drawing on interviews with 75 victim-survivors of image-based sexual abuse in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. We adopt a feminist phenomenological approach that permits more nuanced and holistic understandings of victim-survivors’ experiences, moving beyond medicalised, trauma-based accounts of harm. Our analysis develops five interconnected accounts of the harms experienced, that we have termed social rupture, constancy, existential threat, isolation and constrained liberty. Our findings shed new light on the nature and significance of the harms of image-based sexual abuse that emphasises the need for more comprehensive and effective responses to these abuses.

A Pornografia de Vingança como Instrumento de Violência de Gênero

O estudo busca refletir sobre a prática da pornografia de vingança, entendendo conceitualmente o objeto, perpassando brevemente pelo contexto sociológico das relações modernas. Discute-se sobre a dualidade existente entre a liberdade de expressão no ciberespaço e os danos aos direitos das mulheres. Nesse sentido, pretende-se apresentar uma análise da responsabilidade civil de provedores de aplicação sobre conteúdo produzido por terceiros no caso da pornografia de vingança, como instrumento de violência de gênero, perpassando por uma análise legislativa e jurisprudencial do STJ, além de analisar e propor mecanismos jurídicos cíveis de repressão à prática, com inspiração em mecanismos bem-sucedidos em outros países, por meio do direito comparado.

Revenge Pornography in Nigeria: A Call for Legal Response and Cyber-Censorship of Content by Internet Service Providers

Abstract Revenge pornography is the online distribution of sexually uncensored images or videos of another person without consent and to cause embarrassment or torment. Victims of revenge pornography suffer significant harm, including losing jobs and, in extreme cases, committing suicide. The public blames the victim for the role they played. Rather than victim-blaming, victims deserve a takedown order and criminal liability for uploaders of such images. This study adopts a doctrinal approach; it examines key statutes and their interpretation by Nigerian courts while juxtaposing it with the law and practice in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom was undertaken as a case study because it has a developed jurisprudence which can provide lessons for Nigeria. This study found that the current state of laws in Nigeria is ill-equipped to tackle the menace of revenge pornography. The objective of this study is to offer insights on the prevalence of revenge pornography in Nigeria and suggest legal solutions to address this phenomenon. It canvasses for a non-consensual pornography provision that would criminalise the act of revenge pornography in Nigeria. It also makes a case for cyber-censorship of contents by internet service providers and the need for third-party liability.

Using vignette methodology to study comfort with consensual and nonconsensual depictions of pornography content

ABSTRACT Spanking, whipping, and choking are examples of aggressive behaviours that can be performed in consensual sexual encounters. However, within the pornography research literature, such behaviours are often perceived as being nonconsensual, categorised as ‘violent’, and argued to predict sexual aggression. Viewing nonconsensual pornography may be associated with negative attitudes towards consent; however, viewing consensual pornography that features typically violent behaviour may not. In this study, we sought to more clearly distinguish between consensual and nonconsensual pornography depictions by using vignettes to examine individuals’ consent attitudes in relation to these pornographic vignettes. We also sought to assess the hypothesis that more frequent pornography engagement will be associated with greater comfort with the nonconsensual vignettes. A series of pornography vignettes were developed by the researchers and categorised by a group of sexual consent experts as ‘consensual’ or ‘nonconsensual’ vignettes during a three-round Delphi study. The finalised vignettes were administered to a convenience sample of Irish university students (n = 1121). More frequent pornography engagement was associated with greater comfort with the consensual and nonconsensual vignettes. Greater comfort with the nonconsensual pornography vignettes was negatively associated with attitudes towards establishing consent and the endorsement of sexual consent norms.

Deepfakes and image manipulation: criminalisation and control

ABSTRACT Deepfakes are a form of human image synthesis where an existing picture or image is superimposed into a video to change the identity of those depicted in the video. The technology relies on machine learning or artificial intelligence to map an existing image, usually a photo of a person's face, to transfer that image to an existing video image. The technology emerged into the latter part of 2017, and has since given rise to apps and other programmes that allow users to create their own deepfakes. We already use filters and emojis to alter images by consent, however, deepfakes are particularly problematic because they allow for production of videos that are highly convincing, taken to be a real video of the person depicted. Deepfakes provide for the manipulation of all manner of video, but particular risks include videos produced to incite political deception, voter manipulation, commercial fraud, and ‘revenge porn’. The production of deepfake ‘revenge porn’ presents as especially insidious given the ability to transfer the face of any person onto an already existing pornographic video. Harm is exacerbated where that video is then disseminated, via the internet or by social media.

Trading Nudes Like Hockey Cards: Exploring the Diversity of ‘Revenge Porn’ Cases Responded to in Law

Popular and scholarly responses to nonconsensual pornography (colloquially known as ‘revenge porn’) have largely, though not exclusively, focused on cases that fit within the paradigmatic mold of men nonconsensually distributing intimate images with the intention to harass or abuse their female partners/ex-partners. However, several recent studies offer evidence that the dynamics of this act are more diverse than previously assumed. In this article I analyze 49 Canadian legal cases to determine the extent to which those cases that make it to the court level fit within the typical framing and to explore the dynamics of cases laying outside this paradigm. I find that, while a large portion of cases fit the commonly imagined pattern, the case law also includes several cases that complicate dominant framings of nonconsensual pornography. Using intersectional and postmodern feminist theory, I argue that this variety of case contexts necessitates more diverse socio-legal understandings of and responses to nonconsensual pornography.

По някои въпроси, свързани с наказателноправната защита на личния живот

The article explores the necessity of adequate criminal law framework in connection with the right to a private life. The focus falls on a specific aspect of the right to a private life, namely privacy and how it is affected by revenge porn – newly born phenomenon of people sharing private, sexual materials of another person without their consent.

Studi Terhadap Seorang Perempuan Sebagai Korban Revenge Porn di Pekanbaru

The need for the fulfillment of technology ang information is a necessity in modern life today. Increase sophisticate communication flow makes the distance relationship between a person and another be increasingly. In addition, adolescent relationship are increasingly rife and do not know the limits of new problems in social life. Many young people today who hang out and build the relationship without knowing the time and situation. In 2017 ago at Pekanbaru there was a case of revenge porn commited by a student at one private campus initials M against his girlfriend who had the initials B. after this incident, B feel the trauma and often unpleasant treatment, and even tends to lead to harassment by some of her friends on campus. At the first, B build relationship with her boyfriend the initials M with the good condition, but the over time B often get the treated violently by her boyfriend, example phisically violent, verbally violent, and sexually violent. Her boyfriend also recorded and distributed their sexs video to social media. From this case, the author will be analysis the case of revenge porn into feminist and victimology theory. This research also uses the descriptive and qualitative methods by taking interview data from various sources, such as B as the victim, mother of B, the friends B, observers, and related institutions. In this cases, the authors also giving the reccomendations so that in the future, the similar cases will not be repetaed.

Using IP rights to protect human rights: copyright for ‘revenge porn’ removal

Abstract‘Revenge pornography’ is a concept which embraces a broad spectrum of the non-consensual distribution of private sexual images. Acknowledging the harms that arise from this practice and the human rights implications of ‘revenge pornography’, this paper focuses on the difficulty of removing those images from the Internet. It considers the legal vehicles which can be employed to force websites and third-party operators to remove private sexual images, including privacy law and copyright notice and takedown systems. It concludes that the piecemeal approach to image removal is insufficient, and that a more cohesive and appropriate approach to image removal is required to ensure that victim-survivors’ rights to private and family life are properly protected.

DEVELOPMENTS IN ITALIAN CRIMINAL LAW ON CYBER-VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

The growing availability of technologies, virtual content and the widespread diffusion of social media has led to the emergence of a problem - that of cyberviolence - now of global reach and with significant social consequences. In this changed criminological framework, the phenomenon of male violence against women is reinforced. However, the criminal law of recent decades has slowly evolved, providing ever greater protection for women who are victims of violence. Recognition within the Italian criminal system of the so-called cybercrime runs parallel to this adjustment process. The connections between cyberspace and forms of violence against women are evident, capable of harming an even more intimate sphere, that of sexuality and its confidentiality. This intertwining led to the coining of terms such as cyberstalking and cyber harassment in common language and the Italian criminal context. However, the jurisprudential reflection on the risk underlying the emerging phenomena called sexting, sextortion and revenge porn, appears limited. Criminal law, as conceived and created to operate in a static reality, inevitably finds its limitation in providing the victim with protection synchronized for the speed of the digital world. Criminal law thus finds itself reflecting on its adaptability to liquid modernity and necessarily having to dialogue with the new branch of computer law, where the new rights to be forgotten, to the confidentiality and protection of one's data, find space and greater protection. Finally, there is an urgent need to combine protection tools that release from procedural delays and can stop the circulation of harmful content with timescales closer to the flow of current time, to counter the plague of violence against women. Article visualizations:

Sexting: What's Law Got to Do with It?

Sexting, the phenomenon commonly defined as the sending, receiving, and forwarding of nude, semi-nude, or sexually explicit images within digital forms of communication, is a practice that has received heightened public attention. While many scholars consider consensual sexting to be innocuous and a normative part of development, the potential for youth engagement to result in instances of cyberbullying, revenge porn, and child pornography has ignited public fear and anxiety, resulting in a messy patchwork of legal responses that often yield disproportionately punitive responses. Upon exploring the legal parameters surrounding youth sexting in Canada, this paper will argue that while the logic of the current legislation in protecting youth from harm is appropriate, its method of implementation is misguided. The legal reform advocated here calls upon child pornography and online harm laws only when the case involves an adult perpetrator, and suggests a more nuanced, graduated juvenile scheme when the behavior involves youth sexting participants.

The Legal Implications and Remedies Concerning Revenge Porn and Fake Porn: A Common Law Perspective

Based on US and British regulations in force, this article offers an overview of legislation of two Common Law countries in the area of modern forms of law infringements focusing on the notions of revenge porn and fake porn. The first part contains definitions and descriptions of the terms ‘revenge porn’ and ‘fake porn’, pointing out to the context of the relationship between the dynamic technological development and use of artificial intelligence on the one hand and the regulatory framework failing to meet the current needs on the other. Further, examination is conducted of US and British legislation in force divided into civil and criminal law, indicating legislative gaps as well as the inefficiency of the existing legal solutions and presenting a range of proposals of legislative changes. The considerations have been supplemented with the results of the author’s assessment of sociological and statistical research available in source literature carried thus far in the field in question. The following section is dedicated to a comparative assessment of American and British legal solutions based on selected, critical issues. The final parts of the article serve to postulate systemic changes in legislation and is a proposal to introduce out-of-court dispute settlement methods in legal disputes pertaining to the matters discussed herein, and to frame future research directions.

Why did she send it in the first place? Victim blame in the context of ‘revenge porn’

‘Revenge porn’ or ‘cyber rape’ occurs when intimate images that were previously sent with permission are leaked to a wider audience without consent. This research investigated the perceptions that individuals form about ‘revenge porn’ victims, aiming to gain more understanding from a victimisation perspective as a first step towards improving victim outcomes. One hundred and twenty-two individuals were presented with a scenario depicting a leaked intimate image with a female victim. Two distinct nudity levels: low (lingerie) and high (bare-chest, breasts exposed) were included, and participants’ responses to the Sexual Double Standards Scale were analysed to determine whether acceptance of the traditional sexual double standard was correlated with victim perception. Results indicated that victims were perceived as more promiscuous and more blameworthy when they were more naked, and by participants with more traditional gender roles. There is a need for policy to address potential stigma directed at ‘revenge porn’ victims.

The emotional bystander – sexting and image-based sexual abuse among young adults

ABSTRACT Digital sharing of sexually explicit imagery is a social and emotional phenomenon with at least three actors: A sender of an intimate image who is sexting with a consensual receiver – and a third party, who might non-consensually view the image later. In this paper, third parties are conceptualized as bystanders and it is analysed first, how non-consensual sharing makes the bystanders feel and secondly, how sexters feel about the potential bystanders. Data consists of 25 interviews with 18–25-year old Danes, who had experiences with sending, receiving and viewing intimate images digitally. Their narratives are analysed using Arlie Hochschild’s sociology of emotions to understand how young adults work with changing and expressing emotions in digital intimacy. Findings suggest that bystanders experience non-consensual sharing situations as awkward, uncomfortable and ethically problematic ‘oversharing’. Rather than intervening, bystanders manage their conflicting feelings by resorting to ‘surface acting’. In sexting, ‘deep acting’ and cropping technologies are used to reduce the emotional harm of bystander viewing. The role of bystanders constitutes an important research gap in relation to the affective complexities of sexual image exchange. The paper’s findings are applied in a critical discussion of campaigns advising young people to ‘sext safe’ and ‘speak-up’.

Reconceptualizing Revenge Porn

Revenge porn has become an epidemic in the United States in recent years. A debate among legislators has emerged, focused primarily on the question of whether to criminalize the phenomenon, with most states having already done so, based on the grave harm that revenge porn inflicts on victims and the ease of distributing it. However, the conceptual questions of how to categorize the offense, and why, have not received much attention. Contrary to the prevailing approaches in the United States, which sporadically define revenge porn as an infringement of privacy, as obscenity, or as some other offense, this Essay proposes, for the first time, theoretical grounds for categorizing it as a sex offense. This novel, though possibly controversial, reconceptualization more accurately reflects the social values that are violated by the phenomenon, more correctly labels the behavior of the offender, and more succinctly recognizes the nature of the harm inflicted on the victim. Categorizing revenge porn as a sex offense has not only theoretical but also practical implications, both for victims and released sex offenders.

Women and Exilic Identity in the Hebrew Bible

Women and Exilic Identity in the Hebrew Bible

Erotic Extortion: Understanding the Cultural Propagation of Revenge Porn

Revenge porn is a growing problem in current U.S. media culture. According to the Data & Society Institute, one in 10 women under the age of 30 have been victims of or threatened with having their private sexually explicit images shared with the public without their consent. Most of the current research on revenge porn is from a legal perspective, dealing with issues of privacy and copyright. This article uses feminist phenomenology to explore the cultural influences of revenge porn, specifically the prevalence of the male gaze and male voyeurism in mainstream media. Understanding how revenge porn is situated in culture will allow for a better understanding of potential sites of resistance. This article argues for critical pedagogy and media literacy as possible solutions.

‘Revenge Porn’ and Women Empowerment Issues: Implications for Human Rights and Social Work Practice in Zimbabwe

Although the issue of revenge porn dates back before the popularization of social media, concerns over its gender bias and other adverse concomitant ramifications have recently attracted attention from a human rights perspective. While it has been widely acknowledged that women subjugation through revenge porn is a reality in Zimbabwe, this has not been met with the radical policy reformations that the challenge demands. Using a qualitative approach, this paper explored the dynamics surrounding revenge porn as a phenomenon thwarting the efforts of women-NGOs in their fight against gender inequality and women exclusion. The paper underscores the urgent need to enact laws that would provide a clear legal and policy framework for dealing with revenge porn in Zimbabwe.

Efficient targeted influence minimization in big social networks

An online social network can be used for the diffusion of malicious information like derogatory rumors, disinformation, hate speech, revenge pornography, etc. This motivates the study of influence minimization that aim to prevent the spread of malicious information. Unlike previous influence minimization work, this study considers the influence minimization in relation to a particular group of social network users, called targeted influence minimization. Thus, the objective is to protect a set of users, called target nodes, from malicious information originating from another set of users, called active nodes. This study also addresses two fundamental, but largely ignored, issues in different influence minimization problems: (i) the impact of a budget on the solution; (ii) robust sampling. To this end, two scenarios are investigated, namely unconstrained and constrained budget. Given an unconstrained budget, we provide an optimal solution; Given a constrained budget, we show the problem is NP-hard and develop a greedy algorithm with an $(1-\frac {1}{e})$-approximation. More importantly, in order to solve the influence minimization problem in large, real-world social networks, we propose a robust sampling-based solution with a desirable theoretic bound. Extensive experiments using real social network datasets offer insight into the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed solutions.

Revenge Pornography or Non-Consensual Dissemination of Sexually Explicit Material as a Sexual Offence or as a Privacy Violation Offence

Revenge Pornography or Non-Consensual Dissemination of Sexually Explicit Material as a Sexual Offence or as a Privacy Violation Offence