Impact of revenge porn on Gen Z: Examining intimate image abuse
It’s no secret revenge porn has become more common in recent years, but Honey Wyatt unpacks just how prevalent it is among Gen Z and its impact.
For as long as humans have had the means, the naked human form has been captured in marble, on canvas, or screen. From the first nude statue in 330 BCE, to Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus, and even Kim Kardashian’s 2015 book, ‘Selfish’, where there’s been a will there has been a way to memorialise the human body – genitals, asses, tits, and all.
When that means extended to having a portable camera in our pockets, this inevitably led to intimate images of all aspects of our lives becoming able to be shared with anyone, anywhere and at any time.
But, just like any relationship, access to technology and the internet is a fine line between security and manipulation. Its sparseness and intimacy can simultaneously make you feel special and constantly perceived, or on the other end of the spectrum an anonymous drop in the ocean never to be minded by anyone.
This is a dangerous game when intimate images are involved – they can get into the wrong hands – and – despite increased awareness of this possibility and legislation providing sanctions for if it does – until recently we’ve been unaware of just how often this happens.
Intimate image abuse statistics
But a study by global cybersecurity company Kaspersky reveals just how widespread the problem of intimate image abuse (IIA) is across the world. Its survey of 9,000 people shows that 25% of people have shared nude or explicit images of themselves with people they are either dating or “chatting to”, while 20% have explicit images of other people saved on their devices.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gen Z (ages 16-24) and Millennials (ages 25-34) are the generations most likely to engage with intimate image taking and sharing. Over a third (39%) of Millennials admit having shared such images of themselves, while 30% and 29% of Gen Z and Millennials respectively have images of others on their devices.
Sharing nudes among Gen Z
Young people share intimate photos for similar reasons they share on social media, David M. Brace, developmental psychologist and founder of relationship advice platform Life Love Marriage, tells Sextras.
“Sending intimate pictures of ourselves has become more than just a trend of odd phenomenon, it's become a norm for young people in the dating and relationship space,” he explains. “And much of it comes back to the rise of social media and the growing need or want for immediate attention, validation, and gratification.
“Researchers have watched as a young woman who posts a sexy photo gets massive serotonin and dopamine hits from likes and attention. And that attention means even more when it's coming from someone we are romantically interested in.”
As sharing on the wild west of the world wide web becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, pressure contributes to people sharing intimate photos with others, comments sexologist and couples therapist at Passionerad, Sophie Roos.
“Many people feel it’s thrown upon them to send pictures when being asked for, especially women since that comes in the “package deal” of a modern relationship,” she tells Sextras. “Many do it out of fear to not please their partner enough, since they hear that ‘everyone sends pics nowadays’.”
This could explain why men are more likely to receive and circulate these images than women. Kaspersky finds 25% of men have images of other people stored on their phones, and 40% have received images from a third party, while fewer women (17%) report having images stored on their phone and receiving images (34%).
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Men are slightly more likely (5.7%) than women (4%) to not ask for consent before sharing intimate images; and 30% of men believe receiving an intimate image grants them ownership of it.
What’s more, women are more likely to be survivors of revenge porn, or IIA, than men. This is also more prevalent among Gen Z and Millennials, as more than two thirds of Gen Z (69%) and Millennials (64%) are, or know, a survivor of IIA – compared with 46% of all people.
Ella*, 24, frequently shared intimate images with an ex-partner when she was younger. “My ex boyfriend and I were long distance, so we would send each other a lot of nudes when we were apart,” she tells Sextras. “We used Facebook messenger to text and send pics and would call to have sex over FaceTime sometimes.”
It wasn’t until a year and a half into their dating that she learned he had not only taken screenshots during FaceTime sex that she wasn’t aware of, but shared them with other people without her consent.
Psychological effects of revenge porn
But this doesn’t stop people from being empathetic towards those who choose to share their nudes. While 85% of respondents tell Kaspersky they believe that sharing intimate images without consent should carry the same legal penalties as other severe privacy violations, 50% of people admit they believe if you’ve shared an image of yourself, it is your fault if it ends up in the wrong hands.
Ella disagrees with this sentiment. “I understand what these people mean – that if you never take these pictures then there’s nothing to worry about – and ultimately if you do share a picture or anything there is always a risk,” she says.
“But that doesn’t make it right. It’s like the ‘sex ed’ advice of don’t have sex if you don’t want to get pregnant or an STI, except it’s literally just asking for respect, consent, and common decency from the person you’re sharing it with. I would hope that’s not too much to ask of someone who wants to have my tits on his phone.”
Blame is too often assigned to the person whose images are shared without their consent, suggests Roos.
“People do not respect the situation the pictures were sent in, and [the fact] that it was meant for the receiver only. Most people don’t understand how big the consequences of revenge porn can be,” she says.
But revenge porn should be taken seriously, and with concern for survivors’ mental health. Sharing intimate images without the subject’s consent can have profound psychological issues, explains Sumarie Engelbrecht, counsellor and founder of Wholistic Mental Health Care.
“The non-consensual sharing of intimate images can have severe psychological effects,” she explains.
“Victims often experience anxiety, depression, and a profound sense of betrayal. A 2017 study highlights the long-term emotional and social consequences, including trust issues and social withdrawal; the stigma attached to being a victim can exacerbate these effects, leading to a detrimental impact on one's mental health and self-esteem.”
For Ella, her partners’ actions have had an ongoing impact on her mental health. Describing how she felt when she found out what had happened, she says: “I was angry. I yelled a lot; I cried. It’s an enormous betrayal. I trusted him with these pictures and videos of myself and I sent them and took them out of love for the person I was with, and for him to betray that love and trust really hurt me.
“You just feel quite used, I think as a woman I also used to place a lot of value on my sexuality and how I could please my partner because I was a bit young and maybe not as secure as I am now so it really wrecked my self-esteem and my trust in myself to choose the right people.”
Though she has had stable relationships since then, Ella admits she has not shared intimate images of herself with a partner since.
“With the right person, if I feel like it, I would probably send something again,” she says. “But I’d worry about the consequences on my mental health afterwards as it’s now something I’ve sort of processed and grieved. I don’t want to spiral again into worrying about where that picture might end up.”
Preventing intimate image abuse
With a majority of young people being impacted by revenge porn in some form, it’s crucial we find ways to combat it. Not only are our lives becoming increasingly online, and therefore shareable at the click of a button, but attitudes towards women are dwindling among men in younger generations.
The advent of AI and deepfake porn is also contributing to problem, as 33% believe this technology has blurred the boundaries, as anything can be shared without consent.
As with most issues in the world of sex and relationships, better sex education and media literacy is a good place to start.
“Comprehensive education on digital ethics and consent is crucial,” according to Engelbrecht. “Programs should emphasise the legal and emotional repercussions of sharing intimate images without consent. Schools and online platforms can collaborate to deliver engaging content that resonates with young people.
“Campaigns that share real-life stories of victims and the consequences faced by perpetrators can also be powerful. Encouraging open discussions about digital responsibility can foster a culture of respect and accountability.”
Legislation also has a part to play in preventing IIA, as laws can shift the responsibility onto those who have shared others’ images without consent, rather than the initial sender. In the UK, where it has been illegal to share private or sexual images or videos of someone without their consent since 2015, there has been a downward trend in the amount of IIA that has occurred from 32.5% in 2021 to 25% in 2024.
In the US, campaigns such as #RewritingRevengePorn are seeking a better understanding of, and legal response to, IIA. Getting involved in these could help campaign for better protections for past and future survivors.
It’s equally important to look out for ourselves on an individual level. While the onus should not be on individual safety, but rather collective responsibility, attitudes towards revenge porn force us to think about who we share intimate images of ourselves with and how we can stay safe.
Online safety advice:
Kaspersky offers advice for how to stay safe when sharing or saving intimate images of yourself online:
Think before you post. Be mindful of who you share your data with and when and consider how the content you share might be interpreted and used by others.
Understand which messengers are safe and which have end-to-end encryption.
If you think you are a victim of IIA, keep evidence and report it to the police and platforms where you believe your data is available.
Use a reliable security solution and secure unique passwords for every account; resist the temptation to reuse the same one
Use StopNCII.org, a global online tool to help protect intimate images from being shared online across some of the most widely used platforms across the world.
Support for revenge porn victims:
UK: Revenge Porn Helpline | Stop NCII
US: National Sexual Assault Helpline (RAINN) | The Trevor Project
A full catalogue of support for IIA around the world can be found here.
*name has been changed
Kaspersky commissioned Censuswide to survey 9,033 people over age 16 in the UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Colombia, France, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Peru, USA, Spain and Brazil. The data was collected from 17 to 24 May 2024.