It’s necessary that revenge porn is taken more seriously and not encouraged on social media!
What comes to mind when you hear the term revenge porn? The definition is: “Revealing or sexually explicit images or videos of a person posted on the Internet, typically by a former sexual partner, without the consent of the subject and in order to cause them distress or embarrassment.” If you ask me, this sounds more like sexual abuse than anything else.
Revenge porn involves a lack of consent. Why not call it as it is? The act is outlawed in 38 states in the United States and Washington D.C. Despite it being illegal, revenge porn has been encouraged and supported on social media.
Social media has the ability to spread messages, both positive and negative. It’s so public, anyone can contact anyone. People can post what they want, without a solid feeling of accountability. This lack of accountability encourages cyberbullying and directed attacks involving slut shaming, victim blaming, and other attacks on appearances of women and girls.
As of 2016, there was an estimate of around 2,000 revenge porn sites existing online. The presence of these sites is alarming, and speaks for the presence that social media has in rape culture. The people who post these images or videos don’t consider the lasting effects that public shaming has on victims.
Revenge porn is targeted towards women and the effects are long-lasting.
According to a survey done by the Cyberbullying Research Center:
- 90% of victims of revenge porn in the sample were women
- 93% stated that they suffered emotional distress because of it
- 49% said they’ve experienced stalking or harassment due to these photos/videos
With this being a widespread issue with severe lasting effects, more must be done to prevent its presence on social media. There must be a greater push for social media sites to prohibit cyberbullying and to push for banning users who continually engage in these attacks.
People must take cyberbulling more seriously, both online and offline. Organizations like Stomp Out Bullying and NoBullying have taken initiatives to educate on cyberbullying and empowering victims of abuse.
No one should have to worry about having their personal photos shared online without consent. Those who distribute revenge porn must receive more severe consequences, to show that this is not okay.
Image Credit: Ackermann PR
About the Author
Kathryn Pitts is a Political Science major at Georgia State University, pursuing a career in the non-profit sector. She is aiming to work with refugees, specifically women and children, and women’s rights on a global scale. She is passionate about volunteer work and strives to help others every day. Kathryn also enjoys playing with her dog and hiking on weekends off.