{"id":26781,"date":"2019-11-25T13:02:33","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T12:02:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/?p=26781"},"modified":"2024-09-25T20:08:15","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T18:08:15","slug":"stop-revenge-porn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/stop-revenge-porn\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharing Isn\u2019t Caring\u2026 The Rise of Revenge Porn"},"content":{"rendered":"

While getting revenge on an ex partner or lover way back when constituted sleeping with their best friend or spreading negative rumours, today\u2019s technological world has called for a new kind of revenge\u2026 that is, revenge porn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easier than ever to do, and leaves the victim with irreparable effects, including embarrassment, humiliation, anger, depression, and other mental and emotional distress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As for the victim\u2019s livelihood, they may endure a loss of employment or face challenges when finding a new job, a loss of friends, tension and shame within the family, and further (cyber) bullying. They may even find themselves in danger if their personal information, such as full name and address, is posted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Having said that, governments all over the world have taken a stand against revenge <\/span>porn<\/span>, and have put laws in place in order to help prevent the participation in this vile form of vengeance\u2026 which is a good first step.<\/span><\/p>\n

For those who are not so familiar with this fairly new way in which to get back at an ex, here\u2019s a little more information about revenge porn.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Revenge Porn?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Revenge porn is the sharing of explicit and sexual videos or photos of another person <\/span>without their consent<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is often done as a means to cause embarrassment and shame, and is usually posted or shared by an ex partner or lover who wants to \u2018get back\u2019 at their ex for one or more reasons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Usually it is done by <\/span>someone who has perhaps been broken up with<\/a><\/span>, or someone who feels betrayed or angry towards an old partner or lover.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other times, hackers or anonymous stalkers may gain access to someone\u2019s personal photos and videos, which are then shared publicly.<\/span><\/p>\n

These explicit images or videos are either uploaded to <\/span>social media channels<\/span>, shared between friends on messenger platforms, and sometimes uploaded to revenge porn websites for the public to see. The sharer or uploader may gain personal satisfaction, monetary gain, or simply a feeling of pride in giving others content for entertainment.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Did Revenge Porn Begin?<\/span><\/h2>\n

You may be under the impression that revenge porn began with the invention of the Internet. In actuality, the earliest form of revenge porn was said to take place in <\/span>Hustler<\/span><\/i> magazine in the 1980\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n

In it, they had an allocated section called, <\/span>\u201cBeaver Hunt\u201d<\/span><\/i> which was an opportunity for women to send in their photos along with some of their information (hobbies, sexual fantasies etc.).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This lead to the magazine being sued by several women who claimed that they did not, in fact, send in the published images.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, revenge porn has gained international recognition and much more popularity. This is largely due to the website, <\/span>IsAnyoneUp, <\/span><\/i>created in 2010 by Hunter Moore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This website served as a kind of online version of <\/span>Beaver Hunt<\/span><\/i>, and gave users the opportunity to upload their own pornographic images.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the height of its success, it attracted more than 30 million visitors and brought in around $13,000 per month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite its shut down in 2012, Moore seemed to show no feelings of remorse about the website. When confronted by two women who were victims of revenge porn on his website, he simply stated, \u201c<\/span>No one put a gun to your head and made you take these pictures. It\u2019s 2011, everything\u2019s on the Internet.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Which brings me to my next point\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Send Nudes<\/span><\/i>\u201d and \u201c<\/span>Sliding into the DM<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n

By understanding the implications of revenge porn, you may be asking yourself why anyone would be willing to <\/span>share their most intimate photos or videos<\/span> with someone. And sure, we can blame it on technology, but at the end of the day, technology is merely the channel that\u2019s <\/span>allowed us<\/span><\/i> to share these images and videos so freely.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is more so a question of the way in which we are socialised to believe that the sharing of these images and videos is OK, telling ourselves that we trust the receiver and that something like revenge porn would never happen to us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And for many, <\/span>sharing explicit images or videos<\/span> of themselves to their partner is a way in which to flirt<\/a>, engage in sexting<\/a>, and to practice sexual expression. In this way, the images and or videos were sent with consent\u2026 at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

But in a shocking survey conducted by dating website, <\/span>Match.com<\/span><\/i>, it was found that 10 percent of ex partners have threatened to expose these kinds of images and videos. And of that 10 percent, 60 percent actually followed through.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s also shocking is the fact that around 90 percent of those who fall victim to revenge porn, are <\/span>women<\/span>. This is because women are much more likely to be pressured into sending this kind of material to someone of the opposite sex.<\/span><\/p>\n

And as the heading suggests, we\u2019re living in a society where <\/span>\u201cSend nudes\u201d <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>\u201cSliding into the DM\u2019s\u201d<\/span><\/i> are so ingrained and normalised, that there are too many <\/span>memes<\/span> to count that poke fun at the notion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are able to gain instant satisfaction by downloading, uploading, sending, and sharing content online, and because of this, there are currently as many as 3000 revenge porn websites online today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And just because someone on the other side of the world has forgotten about an image or video that they stumbled across, a prospective employer, a friend, or family member, has the ability to find the material by simply typing in a name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t believe me? A study revealed that at least 50 percent of the time, a full name and a link to a social media account is included when an explicit photo or video is shared, and at least 20 percent of the time, the victim\u2019s email address or phone number is shared.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still feel like sending nudes or sliding into the DM?<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Do Men Post Revenge Porn?<\/span><\/h2>\n

While both men and women can, and do, share explicit images and videos of others without their consent, the victims are oftentimes women.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why? Here are a few reasons provided by men who have actually posted revenge porn, as discussed with <\/span>clinical psychologist, David J. Ley, PhD<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n