ARRecent annual data released by the Revenge Porn Helpline has shown an alarming concern of gender disparity in cases of intimate image abuse. The findings reveal a stark contrast in the prevalence of such incidents, with women disproportionately affected compared to men.
According to reports received by the Revenge Porn Helpline, women have approximately 28 times more images shared without their consent compared to men. This is part of the staggering 106% increase in total number of reports received by the helpline in 2023 alone.
Gender Disparity in Intimate Image Abuse Cases
In 95% of cases requiring content to be reported by the helpline, the victims are female. Moreover, an alarming 73% of incidents involving threats to share intimate images specifically target women. The data also exposes the pervasive nature of voyeurism, with 78% of reported cases involving women as victims.
Non-Consensually Shared Intimate Content Legally Allowed To Be Viewed Online
Despite these troubling statistics, the Revenge Porn Helpline maintains an impressive removal rate, successfully taking down up to 90% of reported images. However, approximately 10% of reported content remains online, even if a perpetrator has been convicted. This is because it is deemed legally acceptable for NCII content to be viewed online due to Internet Service Providers being prevented from blocking access to the public.
Currently, the Revenge Porn Helpline has 30,000 URLs containing non-consensually shared intimate content that they are unable to remove due to this alarming gap in the legal system.
For this to change, the Government will need to make necessary legal amendments in order to ensure any non-consensually shared intimate images are blocked from being viewed online.
Sophie Mortimer (Revenge Porn Helpline Manager) said:
Despite the positive steps taken over the past year with the Online Safety Act, there are still alarming gaps within the legal system that permit NCII content to be viewed online even if the perpetrator has been convicted. How can we protect individuals against intimate image abuse if their content is permitted to be viewed online? A perpetrator may be convicted, but the UK currently allows their crime to carry on for all to see. More must be done, and we urge the Government to address this rising concern.
The Revenge Porn Helpline
Since its inception in 2015, the Revenge Porn Helpline has played a pivotal role in combatting intimate image abuse, with approximately 338,000 images reported to date. Of these, 306,000 have been successfully removed from online platforms, safeguarding those who have been targeted by intimate image abuse.
The Revenge Porn Helpline remains committed to providing support to those individuals who experience intimate image abuse, whilst working towards systemic changes to address a growing global issue.
