“Sexting” is now a commonly used term for sharing a nude or a naked selfie via phone or online, but this behaviour can have serious and lasting consequences. There is a willingness by many young people, particularly men, to send such images with little, if any, encouragement.
But once digital images are sent, the sender has lost control of them. They can resurface when least expected and can be published or found by anyone including friends, family, strangers, colleagues and criminals. Intimate images can be used to exploit, bully and harass individuals, and are also sometimes used as a form of blackmail known as “sextortion”.
If the image is of a person, or purports to be of a person with a public profile, the harm caused by the sharing and posting of these images can be greater and the reputational damage more significant, as in the case of the distribution of a cache of nude images allegedly showing 45 current and former AFL players.
There has been a steady stream of commentary about just how foolish the AFL players were in the sharing of the nude and explicit images in the first place, if indeed that is what happened, and the that if they hadn’t shared them they would not be in this mess.
But this view deflects from the fact that the people at fault here are those who decided to compile and share the images, with the intent to cause harm and embarrassment to those whose alleged pictures were shared. Just because you make a decision that others think is foolish, it does not mean that you deserve to be the victim of a criminal act.
The offence of distributing an intimate image is punishable by up to two years’ jail, and threatening to distribute an image up to one year in jail. It’s worth noting that the definition of distribute is to show, share or make available.
Imagine the furore if it had been an AFL player leaking nudes of 45 females without consent. Those pointing the finger at the players are operating under double standards. No one should be the victim of image-based abuse, regardless of how the images were obtained and regardless of their gender.
That said, while behaviour or actions may be legal and lawful, that does not mean that they are sensible and or good choices. It is a person’s right to engage in certain behaviours, and no one expects an intimate image shared with consent to find its way into the public domain. But as we have all too often seen, this is the reality.
Young people need to be aware that there is a big difference between sharing a nude with an intimate partner, or someone you have a level of trust with, and a random person online when you have no way to identify them or their motives.
Until those impacted by this type of criminal behaviour are prepared to make a police report, nothing will change. Victims of all crimes, but in particular image-based abuse, should be encouraged to make an official report, so the offender can be bought to justice.
We cannot undo poor choices or remove the consequences, but we need to ensure that all members of society, especially those at high risk of harm such as teens and those with a public profile, are properly educated about the risks of sharing intimate images with anyone.
Susan McLean is a cyber safety expert and a former police officer who provides education and consultation to organisations including schools, elite sporting bodies and GPs.
The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here.
