Those Who Identify as Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual are Significantly More Likely to be Victims of Revenge Porn

Today, there are more and more victims of “revenge porn.” Maybe even you or someone you know has been a victim.

Revenge porn is a type of image-based sexual abuse that involves distributing nude images of someone without their consent. It’s so common that an estimated 1 in 12 Americans has been a victim of revenge porn, according to a 2020 survey. [1] Both women and men can become victims, but women are more often victims of image-based sexual abuse, while men are more often perpetrators. [2]

Revenge Porn Targets Certain Groups

Fight the New Drug, a non-religious and non-legislative organization, has previously given visibility to the facts that show how porn does not represent equality — this also applies to revenge porn. Some research indicates that minority groups, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community, are significantly more likely to be threatened with image-based sexual abuse and to have private images nonconsensually shared. [3]

One survey of Americans showed that while 2% of heterosexual respondents reported that they had been threatened with image-based sexual abuse, nearly 7x as many lesbian, gay, and bisexual respondents reported the same abuse — 15%. Similarly, 7% of LGB participants reported that someone had shared intimate photos of them, compared to 2% of heterosexual participants. [4]

According to a survey of Australians under the age of 50, those who identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual were significantly more likely to have experienced image-based sexual abuse — 36% of the LGB population, compared to 21% of the heterosexual population. [5]

However, image-based sexual abuse doesn’t solely affect the LGBTQ+ community. Teens, young adults, people with disabilities, and racial minorities also report experiencing abuse. [6]

Revenge Porn Is a Big Deal

At Fight the New Drug, we try to make it clear through our various blogs that porn kills love. In other words, that porn can harm the emotional, physical, and intimate connections in relationships. Revenge porn kills love, and it’s a serious issue. Many states and countries are working on making it illegal to share private images nonconsensually. The United States is working to make revenge porn a federal crime, with most people agreeing that it should be classified as such.

Consider that research shows how revenge porn can also cause emotional damage to victims, leading to trust issues, anxiety, PTSD, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. [7][8] One study showed that revenge porn victims may have symptoms that mimic those of sexual assault, including a loss of control. [9]

The lack of consent contributes to this feeling. Nobody wants to feel violated. Nobody wants their private images taken and shared with the whole world. Having their past become public can cause emotional damage to victims.

Fight the New Drug, a non-religious and non-legislative nonprofit, raises awareness on the harmful effects of porn, including revenge porn. We focus on real love because all types of porn can kill love.

CITATIONS:

[1] Ruvalcaba, Y., & Eaton, A. A. (2020). Nonconsensual pornography among U.S. adults: A sexual scripts framework on victimization, perpetration, and health correlates for women and men. Psychology of Violence, 10(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000233

[2] Ruvalcaba, Y., & Eaton, A. A. (2020). Nonconsensual pornography among U.S. adults: A sexual scripts framework on victimization, perpetration, and health correlates for women and men. Psychology of Violence, 10(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000233

[3] Lenhart, A., Ybarra, M., & Price-Feeney, M. (2016). Nonconsensual image sharing: One in 25 Americans has been a victim of “revenge porn”. Data & Society Research Institute. Retrieved from https://datasociety.net/pubs/oh/Nonconsensual_Image_Sharing_2016.pdf

[4] Lenhart, A., Ybarra, M., & Price-Feeney, M. (2016). Nonconsensual image sharing: One in 25 Americans has been a victim of “revenge porn”. Data & Society Research Institute. Retrieved from https://datasociety.net/pubs/oh/Nonconsensual_Image_Sharing_2016.pdf

[5] Henry, N., Powell, A. & Flynn, A. (2017). Not Just ‘Revenge Pornography’: Australians’ Experiences of Image- Based Abuse. A Summary Report. Melbourne: RMIT University.

[6] Henry, N., Powell, A. & Flynn, A. (2017). Not Just ‘Revenge Pornography’: Australians’ Experiences of Image- Based Abuse. A Summary Report. Melbourne: RMIT University.

[7] Bates, S. (2017). Revenge Porn and Mental Health: A Qualitative Analysis of the Mental Health Effects of Revenge Porn on Female Survivors. Feminist Criminology, 12(1), 22–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557085116654565

[8] Ruvalcaba, Y., & Eaton, A. A. (2020). Nonconsensual pornography among U.S. adults: A sexual scripts framework on victimization, perpetration, and health correlates for women and men. Psychology of Violence, 10(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000233

[9] Bates, S. (2017). Revenge Porn and Mental Health: A Qualitative Analysis of the Mental Health Effects of Revenge Porn on Female Survivors. Feminist Criminology, 12(1), 22–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557085116654565