It all starts with the thought that you can trust your relationship. You may be deeply in love, but there can always come a time when you break up (and yes, there's a chance that it won't be an amicable one). That's when selfishness kicks in and your ex decides to get even with you by posting non-consensual porn along with your personal information.
The images will start to be republished and played on thousands of sites. We all understand where this can lead. However, there is a way for all of us to help a victim of non-consensual porn on the Internet.
So, let's look at five basic ways to offer our help:
Don't blame the victim.
If someone sends you a private (pornographic) image of someone, try to avoid judging the person in the photo. They may have trusted the recipient of the image, not realizing that it would become a topic of discussion on social media and beyond.
Instead, you can contact the victim and try to find out what happened in a non-judgmental way.
Do not promote or share the image.
If you see a non-consensual pornographic image and want to discuss it with friends, you don't need to forward or share the image.
If you're trying to warn your friends about the perpetrator, you can describe what happened by simply saying that a very personal photo was shared without someone's consent. If you're trying to warn the victim, only send them the photo if they ask to see it.
Report the image as inappropriate, if possible.
If you are using a website or social media platform that is not allowed to contain inappropriate material and you are sent or come across questionable material (pornography and beyond), report the image to the provider immediately. Major social media include instructions on how to report an abusive photo (click the links for suggestions for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr and Twitter).
"Don't forget time is precious!"
Inappropriate images can spread quickly, reporting them may help the victim, who may eventually need to track down and try to remove all links to a photo.
Talk to adults you trust.
If very personal photos or videos of you are being used to embarrass or intimidate the victim, it is important to inform an adult in a position of authority, such as a school counselor or principal. The goal is for adults to know that someone has been victimized. It is the adult's responsibility to stop the behavior and punish the perpetrator.
It is important, however, to first ask the victim's permission to report the incident, especially if they think that involving the authorities will lead to accusations of the victim or unfair consequences.
Know when the police should get involved.
Distributing non-consensual porn is illegal in many countries, especially in small towns. If you receive or see sexually explicit images in a group or group message, for example, you may not only be witnessing bullying, but also a crime.
Reporting such an incident to the police is an important step if the victim appears to be in danger, either because the person's shame has put them at risk for self-harm or because the victim is being threatened or intimidated.
