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This article provides a critical analysis of the complex nature of non-consensual image-based harassment of women in cyberspace, challenging the prevailing view that this form of harassment is synonymous with revenge pornography. It explores the intricate patterns and methods through which images are used to target women online, with a specific focus on the Indian context. The article has three primary objectives: firstly, to delineate and comprehend the diverse patterns of this digital abuse and its repercussions on the victimisation of Indian women; secondly, to investigate the root causes and consequences of such victimisation within India; and thirdly, to propose policy measures, especially through civil and criminal remedies, aimed at curbing the production and dissemination of this detrimental content. Providing critical insight into the problematic relationship between content creators and websites, which is intensified by jurisdictional boundaries imposed by foreign laws that govern these platforms, the article argues that this legal incongruity may inadvertently allow content creators to persist in their harmful practices despite the legal protections currently available in India. Consequently, it calls for a reassessment of existing legal frameworks and argues for the development of stronger, more cohesive global policies to address this issue effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENTThis study sought to describe the characteristics of people who non-consensually forward sexts, to examine the overlap between the non-consensual forwarding of sexts and in-person sexual coercion, and to investigate what correlates were associated with each perpetration type (i.e. the non-consensual forwarding of sexts and in-person sexual coercion). In our online community sample of 2,780 emerging adults (i.e. aged 18–30), mostly from North America (97.9%), we found a prevalence of 9.2% for the non-consensual forwarding of sexts and a 13.7% prevalence for in-person sexual coercion. The two types of sexual coercion overlapped; however, more perpetrators of the non-consensual forwarding of sexts had also committed in-person perpetration than in-person perpetrators who also committed the non-consensual forwarding of sexts. Higher sex drive, being a man, greater susceptibility to peer pressure, and self-reporting the other type of sexual coercion were independently related with in-person sexual coercion and the non-consensual forwarding of sexts. Our findings suggest a possible overlapping etiology between in-person sexual coercion and the non-consensual forwarding of sexts and that programmes aimed at reducing in-person sexual coercion could be effective for reducing the non-consensual forwarding of sexts.Results from our online survey of 2,780 adults aged 18-30 suggest that using “revenge pornography” to refer to the non-consensual forwarding of sexual materials is unnecessarily restrictive and does not represent the nature of this phenomenon. Further, we found that positive beliefs about the non-consensual forwarding of sexts was a common motivation for non-consensually forwarding sexts, suggesting that social media campaigns educating emerging adults on the risks of the non-consensual forwarding of sexts may be effective in reducing this behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romance fraud involves the guise of a perceived genuine relationship to gain a financial reward. While those who commit these crimes employ a variety of techniques, emerging evidence suggests the use of sextortion to financially gain from victims. To date, sextortion has been explored generally in the image-based sexual abuse and sexual violence literature but not in the context of romance fraud. This article explores reports of 258 individuals who made a complaint to Scamwatch (Australian online fraud reporting portal) about romance fraud, captured between July 2018 and July 2019 (inclusive). Each of these complaints directly references the use of sextortion, through a threat to expose an intimate image or recording in response to a monetary request. Using an established cyber sextortion typology, this article applies these categories in the context of romance fraud to determine if there is consistency in the use of this technique, or whether its use in the context of romance fraud is unique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a new type of interpersonal crime has emerged where victimization happens through the use of technology and/or cyber space. The legal, law enforcement, as well as social scientific research fields have yet to fully grasp the scope of this modern crime type. In this paper, we review what is currently known on the issue with 5 Ws and 1 H approach, in terms of their current understanding, prevalence, victimization patterns, motivations, and relationship between violence in the cyberspace and offline. We end with a proposal for future directions and argue that a useful framework for researching this type of crime may be the interpersonal model first developed within the investigative psychology field for the classification and profiling of sexually violent offenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexting, and the cyber violence that may result from it, such as revenge porn, have received great attention from many different scientific disciplines. The present study incorporates an important dimension in the research conducted on these expanding digital behaviours, namely place and its influence on the effects that may unfold. Our objective has been to study, from a feminist perspective, the practices of sexting and revenge porn, the gender implications and its consequences for young people in a rural Spanish context. For this, we undertook a qualitative methodology obtained from in-depth interviews (N = 40) carried out with young people (22 women and 18 men) between 18 and 24 years of age who reside in rural areas in northern Extremadura (Spain). The results show that transgressions of gender mandates through sexting pose a greater challenge for young women in life environments in which there is little space for it to go unnoticed. The characteristics of rurality accentuate the effects for the protagonists of the non-consensual circulation of images, such as greater social pressure or the devaluation of their femininity. The findings are discussed and contributions to the debate on the responsibility of young women in the agency of sexting and its consequences are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women endure the most severe and sustained forms of harassment on the internet. In response, activists around the world are mobilizing against conduct that endangers women online. At a time when feminist discourses are both popular and contested, this research explores the extent to which feminist ideas are influencing activism against online harassment. This research centers on a network of activists located in the United States who seek to combat one form of online sexual harassment: non-consensual pornography. Using reflexive thematic analysis, this research asks: how do activists relate to feminist perspectives, issues and approaches? Data analysis reveals among activists a flexible feminist politics that structures the scope and scale of their work. Ultimately, their caring, expansive and institutionally focused approach has enabled these activists to successfully address non-consensual pornography at the legislative and regulatory level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors introduce some of the main aspects of cyberviolence related to digital life, and online experience with a specific focus on young people. Cyberviolence includes violent and calculated actions carried out through electronic tools. In different situations, the perpetrator(s) can be a single person or a group, which deliberately aims to hurt or damage another who cannot defend themselves, often because the victims are initially unaware and unable to manage the problem emotionally and psychologically. Cyber-stalking, revenge porn, hate speech and cyberbullying are just some forms of online violence (cyber-violence). This issue reflects on the problematic issue of cyberviolence from different perspectives including the social, psychological, and educational. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spring 2015, six private videos of a young Italian woman (T.C.) were uploaded on the web without her consent. The videos went immediately viral, and suddenly the woman found herself at the centre of a strenuous legal battle to have the videos removed from the internet and to obtain a change of surname. In her complaint, she stated that despite having willingly participated in the filming, she had never consented to the circulation of the videos and as a result of the unwanted publicity she was receiving she was unable to lead a normal life. Incapable of coping with the growing social pressure, in the late summer of 2016 the woman took her own life. Looking at the comments posted under two newspaper articles published online in the immediate aftermath of her suicide, this article examines the socio-cultural implications of nonconsensual pornography practices in the contemporary Italian public debate. Specifically, this study will try to address the following questions: how was T.C.'s case constructed by the public? How was the responsibility for her death framed in such a discussion? What are the implications of such responses when discussing societal sexism and gender inequality in contemporary Italy? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research informs that bisexual women face harsher sexual stereotypes than lesbian and straight women. We, therefore, explored the relationship between objectification and victim blame in cases of revenge porn in which the victims were sexually diverse women (i.e., bisexual, lesbian, straight). Using vignettes, we hypothesized that bisexual women would be more objectified, and conversely blamed more, than the straight and lesbian victims. Adult men and women who self-identified as straight and cisgender (N = 359) completed and online survey. Findings revealed that objectification and victim blame were significantly correlated. No significant differences were found between bisexual, lesbian, or straight victims on objectification or blame measures. Men participants were found to assign greater victim blame to the victims than were women participants. This study has important implications for targeting sexual violence advocacy efforts, and implications for training future mental health professionals to enhance their advocacy efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies are increasingly being used to abuse, harass, and victimize women. Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA)—the nonconsensual taking or sharing (including threats to share) nude or sexual images—is one such form of abuse. Various jurisdictions have enacted laws criminalizing IBSA, but Australia is arguably leading the way, with eight of its nine jurisdictions introducing innovative IBSA laws. This article explores the Australian laws, focusing on their capacity to address the gendered nature of IBSA. While highlighting the importance of these laws, we argue that a multifaceted approach is required to combat IBSA that includes law reform, education, and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are several challenges facing criminal justice stakeholders with the emergence of this form of criminality, aptly termed "nonconsensual pornography." The current study will examine the management and experiences of a newer form of cybercrime, non consensual pornography, by an imperative category of criminal justice stakeholders: county and district prosecutor offices in the United States. With data collected from electronic surveys, this exploratory study will investigate the frequency these offices are experiencing nonconsensual pornography cases, and any significant factors that affect the sanctions administered by the court system. Results indicated prosecutor offices experienced revenge pornography crimes more so than any other form of nonconsensual pornography. In addition, the results from both quantitative models indicated more years of practice of law in a current state increased the likelihood of revenge pornography cases prosecuted receiving a sanction of incarceration and/or fine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 not associated with greater comfort with the nonconsensual vignettes. Greater comfort with the nonconsensual pornography vignettes was negatively associated with attitudes towards establishing consent and the endorsement of sexual consent norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of how to tackle abuse through adolescent sexual image sharing is an increasing concern for schools, yet little is known about how they should respond. In this article, I review school responses to this phenomenon. The findings presented are taken from a mixed-methods study into harmful sexual behaviour carried out in seven educational settings across four local authorities in England. Using data from focus groups, observations, case reviews and reviews of policies and procedures I present findings on abuse through image sharing including suggestions for safer school environments. I argue that responses to adolescent sexting must move beyond risk aversion and challenge the very socio-cultural systems that enable abuse through sexual image sharing. Achieving this requires responses that recognise developing adolescent sexuality within a digital age and understanding what works in practice for schools and young people. Concurrently, schools have responsibility to challenge socio-cultural norms underlying harmful sexual practices between young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexting is a common behavior with studies reporting that 49% of adults have admitted to sending an intimate image and/or video of themselves to a romantic partner. The literature suggests that sexually explicit images are not safe with intimate partners and that sexts may be re-distributed as nonconsensual pornography, often referred to as revenge porn. Revenge porn refers to situations where a sexually explicit image and/or video of a person is electronically distributed on a media platform without the depicted individual's permission. Research indicates that 60% of individuals in a relationship have forwarded their partners' sexually explicit photograph(s). Employing a content analysis, the current study examined revenge porn statutes in the United States. The findings indicate that perpetrators are often protected through a lack of federal regulations. More specifically, the review highlights diversity in revenge pornography legislation, which may lead to issues in prosecution and remedies available to victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The criminalisation of 'revenge porn' offending responds to the non-consensual distribution of intimate images. By smart device or computer, the ability to distribute images assumed to be private across public networks including social media has emerged as a serious twenty-first-century concern. Individual victims present as particularly vulnerable against the ability to disseminate images quickly. It can be a particularly heinous and harmful act, and removal of the offending images may not be guaranteed. Victims have previously been limited to older criminal offences of general application, in addition to civil law remedies ordering the removal of such images. Complexity and expense has often resulted in inaction. This article assesses the Australian context of 'revenge porn' criminalisation, arguing for a range of graduated and complementary responses from self-help to public education to the availability of a range of civil legal remedies and criminalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image-based sexual abuse is the non-consensual sharing of private sexual images or videos. Although image-based sexual abuse has been described in various forms, the appropriate, universal term should be 'image-based sexual abuse.' This term acknowledges image-based sexual abuse as a legitimate form of abuse and implies the need for specific treatment considerations. Image-based sexual abuse has allowed for the continuity of harm, violence, and abuse against individuals during and after the distribution of images. This paper explores current terminology, prevalence of the issue, dominant discourses, treatment implications, and self-care practices while focusing on the utilization of a feminist-informed narrative approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revenge pornography (hereafter, revenge porn) is the online, sometimes offline, non-consensual distribution or sharing, of explicit images of someone else by ex-partners, partners, others or hackers seeking revenge or entertainment - also referred to as non-consensual pornography. The vast majority of revenge porn is committed by men on women ex-partners. In this paper, we discursively analyse men's electronic texts accompanying their posting of explicit images on arguably the most popular revenge porn-specific website MyEx.com. Situating our analysis as a contemporary form of online gendered violence and abuse, we show the complex ways in which manhood acts are invoked by men to account for their practices. The impacts on victims/survivors and possible interventions are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every day, people's most intimate moments are recorded, uploaded and circulated online without their consent. This gross invasion of privacy - commonly known as 'revenge pornography' - has become part of the scenery in cyberspace. But the name 'revenge pornography' fails to communicate the scope and severity of this harm. It is a victim blaming term that risks misdirecting government policy and misinforming the public. So, in order to mobilise against 'revenge porn', activists have begun renaming it. 'Non-consensual pornography', 'image-based sexual abuse', and 'digital rape' are just a few of their new coinages. This research seeks to understand how 'revenge pornography' is being renamed and reframed in different contexts. To do so, it draws on interviews with thirty activists, experts, and scholars from twelve countries and seven professions. The article begins by comparing their alternative terminologies, bringing to light points of similarity and difference. It then looks forward, identifying new developments in activists' thought and action. Despite their different vocabularies, this research finds among respondents a shared understanding upon which they could build an enduring coalition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the majority of attention to technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) in both policy and practice has been on child sexual exploitation and abuse. Far less attention has been paid to digital sexualised violence against adult members of the population. The aim of this paper is to examine police responses to these serious and emerging harms, which we identify as including the following: (1) online sexual harassment; (2) gender and sexuality-based harassment; (3) cyberstalking; (4) imagebased sexual exploitation (including 'revenge pornography'); and (5) the use of communications technologies to coerce a victim into an unwanted sexual act. While these are variously criminal offences, unlawful civil behaviours or not subject to criminal or civil sanctions or remedies, we claim in this paper that they exist on a continuum of violence and yet the 'real' harms of TFSV are frequently minimised in practice. Drawing on 30 stakeholder interviews with police, legal services and domestic and sexual violence service sector providers, we explore the issues, challenges and promises of law enforcement in this area. We argue that greater attention must be paid to recognising the serious harms of digital abuse and harassment; the role of criminal law in responding to these behaviours; and the importance of investing in police resources to adequately tackle these growing behaviours in a constantly shifting and amorphous digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of revenge porn in relation to legal notions of privacy and consent rights. Topics include the work of the organization Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI), the views of the organization American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in relation to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and problems with the connotations of the word revenge.

Revenge porn involves publicly releasing pictures of a person’s sexual activity, along with the means to contact that person, to provoke widespread shaming. This paper analyzes the US-based revenge porn website MyEx.com through discourse, legal, and information network analyses. The paper explores how revenge porn is not only an instance of online sexual violence rooted in abjection but also symptomatic of a new political economy of subjectivity, where both the human-based and the automated, algorithm-based circulation of personal information are at the center of processes through which the self is seen and valued, both socially and economically, by others. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

‘Revenge porn’ is the online posting of nude or sexually explicit photographs or videos of a former lover without his or her consent. Despite the malicious intent behind revenge porn, victims are provided with little to no relief due to Section 230 of the Federal Communications Decency Act, also known as the ‘Good Samaritan’ provisions. Section 230 unambiguously provides blanket immunity for website operators and Internet service providers that feature user-generated content, including revenge porn. In Section 1, I discuss the purpose of Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act. In Section 2, I analyze the legal impact of the blanket immunity established in Section 230. In Section 3, I examine the potential remedies already in existence for revenge porn victims and highlight their inadequacies. In Section 4, I argue Congress should create a narrow exception to Section 230 immunity specifically geared toward revenge porn. The exception would establish a definition of revenge porn, which would prevent over-deterrence. Additionally, the exception would institute a takedown procedure similar to the process found in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. In creating a narrow exception, the spirit of Section 230 will remain while also providing adequate legal relief for victims of revenge porn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue including the relationship between transgender and feminism, revenge porn committed by men on women ex-partners and significance of gender-responsivity in agricultural development.