Women who have been the victim of image-based sexual abuse or revenge porn are being sought for an Edith Cowan University research project.

Image-based sexual abuse involves the unauthorised sharing or distribution of sexually explicit photos or videos of an individual, often with the intent to shame humiliate or harass.

ECU School of Arts and Humanities Honours Research student Brienna Webb said the study would focus on the experiences and consequences for women who had been victims of image-based sexual abuse.

“There is limited understanding among social science researchers about the nature, extent, perpetration and consequences of the phenomenon so I hope my research will help to start to fill this gap,” she said.

“We know that more than one in five Australians have reported being the victim of image-based sexual abuse or revenge porn.

“I am interested in exploring what impact this form of abuse has on victims and challenging the victim-blaming attitudes that they often face.”

Webb said it was important to differentiate between image-based sexual abuse and sexting or the consensual sharing of intimate images.

“It is well past time that we discarded the notion that if you don’t want an image shared you shouldn’t have taken it in the first place,” she said.

“More than 50 per cent of Australian adults report taking part in sexting, or sharing of intimate images with someone. There is nothing new or necessarily wrong with sharing an intimate picture with someone you are in a casual or long-term relationship with.

“But whereas 50 years ago it took the form of a photo kept in a locker or wallet, modern technology allows images to be shared instantly with the millions of people online. And it is this sharing of intimate images without consent that is the problem.”

The researcher said previous research found that more than 80 per cent of victims suffer severe emotional distress as a result of image-based sexual abuse.

“My research aims to help inform support services and psychological interventions for these sufferers,” she said.

“It will also assist in breaking detrimental victim-blaming attitudes and potentially aid in law reform.”

The WA Government recently introduced laws to parliament to ban image-based sexual abuse. Webb welcomed the legislation, noting the challenge legislators faced keeping up with rapidly evolving technology.

“The proposed laws do not criminalise sexting, which is important. We need to keep the focus on the sharing of images without consent, and avoid blaming victims for the consensual sharing of pictures or videos in the context of a relationship.”

Interviews for the new study will be conducted either face-to-face or via Skype in a supportive environment and involvement in the study will remain confidential.

For more information or to volunteer for the study email  ecuresearchproject2018@gmail.com

Source: Media Release