Sextortion

Sextortion is a form of image-based sexual abuse where someone threatens to share your intimate images unless you do something for them, like send them money or more images. A 2020 study found that 1 in 20 middle school and high school kids have been victims of sextortion—and that’s just middle school and high school kids. (Patchin & Hinduja, 2020) Since then, sextortion has become the most common type of case reported to the Revenge Porn Helpline, with sextortion reports doubling from 2020 to 2021 alone. (Revenge Porn Helpline, 2022)

If you have experienced sextortion, please know that it is not your fault, and regardless of whether you intentionally shared intimate images with someone, you do not deserve this abuse. Sextortion can be a deeply traumatic experience, but there is help available to you.

In addition to utilizing the resources below, it can help to tell someone you trust. It may feel scary to open up to someone about this, but it can help you feel less alone and help you let go of some of the anxiety you might be experiencing. And if you’re not sure how to open up about this, we’ve got your back. You can find our interactive conversation guide here.

Image-based Sexual Abuse

Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) usually refers to incidents in which intimate images are taken, shared, or threatened to be shared without consent. Although it’s often referred to as “revenge porn,” IBSA is the more accurate term, since it does not suggest that the victim did something to deserve “revenge.”

1 in 12 U.S. adults report that they have been victims of image-based sexual abuse, and even more disturbingly, 1 in 20 report that they have been perpetrators of image-based sexual abuse. (Ruvalcaba & Eaton, 2020)

It’s also important to note that IBSA involving minors is also legally considered “child pornography” or child sexual exploitation material (CSEM). According to one report, approximately 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys aged 13-17 report sharing their own nudes, and 1 in 3 underage teens report having seen nonconsensually shared nudes of other minors—in other words, distribute CSEM. (Thorn, 2020)

If you have experienced image-based sexual abuse, please know that it is not your fault, and regardless of whether you intentionally shared intimate images with someone, you do not deserve this abuse. IBSA can be a traumatic experience, (Bates, 2017) but please know that you don’t have to deal with this alone, and there are resources available to help you.

In addition to utilizing the resources below, it can help to tell someone you trust. It may feel scary to open up to someone about this, but it can help you feel less alone and help you let go of some of the anxiety you might be experiencing. And if you’re not sure how to open up about this, we got your back. You can find our interactive conversation guide here.

Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM)

Child sexual exploitation material (CSEM)—legally known as “child pornography”—is any sexual imagery of anyone under the age of 18. Although some people assume that “child pornography” refers only to videos of kids being sexually abused, an increasingly common issue is self-generated child sexual exploitation material, which includes nudes that minors take of themselves.

Many tweens and teens agree that sending nudes is normal. Approximately 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys aged 13-17 report sharing their own nudes, according to a 2020 report. (Thorn, 2020) But 1 in 3 underage teens also reports having seen nonconsensually shared nudes of other minors—in other words, child sexual exploitation material. (Thorn, 2020)

If you have been a victim of CSEM, please know that it is not your fault, and regardless of whether you intentionally shared intimate images with someone, you do not deserve this abuse. Being a victim of CSEM can be a traumatic experience, (Canadian Centre for Child Protection, 2017) but please know that you don’t have to deal with this alone, and there are resources available to help you.

In addition to utilizing the resources below, it can help to tell someone you trust. It may feel scary to open up to someone about this, but it can help you feel less alone and help you let go of some of the anxiety you might be experiencing. And if you’re not sure how to open up about this, we’ve got your back. You can find our interactive conversation guide here.

Sexual Violence

When someone forces or manipulates another person into any sexual act or sexual contact without meaningful consent, this is sexual violence. This includes online or image-based forms of sexual assault.

If you have been a victim of sexual violence, please know that you don’t have to deal with this alone and that there are resources available to help you. Sexual violence can take many forms and can feel overwhelming and traumatizing, but healing is absolutely possible.

Sex Trafficking

When someone is manipulated into a commercial sex act—where money or something else of value is exchanged for a sexual act—through the use of force, fraud, or coercion, that is legally defined as sex trafficking. While some people mistakenly believe that sex trafficking usually involves being kidnapped and then sold for sex, sex trafficking more often involves psychological manipulation, often by trusted loved ones or acquaintances.

Whether that looks like a boyfriend demanding that his girlfriend do sex work on the side in order to bring in needed money, or a porn producer threatening a performer with getting blacklisted unless she goes through with an abusive scene, any level of force, fraud, or coercion in a commercial sex act qualifies it as sex trafficking.

If you think you may be a victim of sex trafficking, please know that you don’t have to deal with this alone and that there are resources available to help you. Sex trafficking can take many forms and can feel overwhelming and traumatizing, but healing is absolutely possible.