BTThe Revenge Porn Helpline have released their latest report documenting how the Helpline has been used to support those impacted by intimate image abuse throughout 2022, with their findings demonstrating the rising public awareness regarding the issue.
The Revenge Porn Helpline was established by South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) in 2015, after seeing a significant need to address rising cases of intimate image abuse. The Revenge Porn Helpline is the first dedicated helpline in the UK, supporting adults affected by intimate image abuse, also widely known as revenge porn, and has assisted thousands of people (aged 18+).
Reporting Content
The Revenge Porn Helpline’s report outlines the long-term impact that intimate image abuse can have on those affected, and the continuous support that adults should have access to. In total since the Helpline started, over 320,000 pieces of intimate content have been reported by the Helpline, which has resulted in a take-down rate of around 90%. The passionate team dedicate hours per day proactively searching and reporting content on the behalf of victims.
Findings from the report show how the Helpline has been committed to supporting those affected by various forms of intimate image abuse. In 2022, the Helpline has supported over 9,000 cases which were received collectively through direct contact to the Helpline as well as through interactions with the online chatbot, Reiya.
A breakdown of the report also revealed that sextortion, or webcam blackmail, has continued to be the most common reported case of intimate image abuse, with 990 reports to the Helpline last year. This is now becoming a continuous trend, after the Helpline saw an increase of sextortion cases in 2021. The team have also been continuing to report images and videos dating back to 2020 as a result of content being redistributed.
Highlighted by report data, sextortion has seen a change in how social media is being utilised by scammers, with instances of sextortion crossing multiple platforms to circumvent breaches of terms of service. If you want to find out more about this issue, you can explore the Helpline’s #cutoffthecatfish campaign.
Contacting the Helpline
The report findings highlighted a notable change in how people contacted the Helpline throughout 2022. In February of that year, the introduction of the out of hours chatbot, Reiya, enabled users to access 24/7 help and advice outside of the Helpline’s opening hours. As a result, the release of the chatbot assisted in triaging thousands of queries more effectively.
A breakdown of contact methods also revealed that contacting the Helpline by phone increased more than three times between 2021 and 2022, accounting for 923 calls. The rise in phone-based communications emphasises the essential work of the Helpline team and the importance for users to be able to hear a friendly and compassionate voice when they reach out to the Helpline.
Looking Towards the Future
The report demonstrates that intimate image abuse continues to be a prevalent issue. The Revenge Porn Helpline addressed this by continuing to support consultations around intimate image abuse in 2022. A new training programme was also developed to support professionals working with adults. These initiatives, alongside established platforms such as StopNCII.org, which prevents online intimate image abuse on a global scale, will make sure that awareness around intimate image abuse continues to be raised on both a national and international level.
As highlighted by the report, the Revenge Porn Helpline team have worked to remove 90% of intimate content. Although this removal rate is highly successful, there is still 10% of content that can’t be removed, as it is deemed to be legal, even after a conviction has taken place against a perpetrator. Looking ahead, the Helpline team would like to develop an effective process, which will bring legal change to ensure that all intimate content can be removed. This change will reduce this 10% statistic, with further removal of content, giving those affected by intimate image abuse the response they deserve.
Sophie Mortimer, Revenge Porn Helpline Manager at SWGfL says:
“2022 was another significant year for the Revenge Porn Helpline, with the Report showing increased engagement with the service and an increasingly high profile for intimate image abuse. I’m enormously proud of the amazing team that supports thousands of adults every year, giving advice and support and working hard to remove private content that has been shared online without consent.
As highlighted by our research, the upcoming Online Safety Bill will affect everyone in the UK who uses online spaces, and we anticipate that it will increase protection for people affected by the sharing of intimate images without consent. As we have explored, it is clear that there is more to do, in 2023 and beyond. These forms of abuse continue to evolve and we need to be quick to respond, ensuring that, for those affected, there is holistic support available and meaningful redress with the removal of online content.”
To download and read the full 2022 Revenge Porn Helpline report, please follow the link below.
If you have been affected by any form of intimate image abuse, you can contact the Revenge Porn Helpline on 0345 6000 459 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm), or send them an email via help@revengepornhelpline.org.uk.
For more information, please visit the Revenge Porn Helpline website.
