This post explores revenge porn, including why people chose to violate people by sharing private photos and the dangerous mentality behind victim blaming.
Recently Instagram influencer Jay Alvarrez, who once was one half of the couple responsible for #couplegoals, leaked his own sex tape online apparently in an attempt to disprove his ex-girlfriend’s comments about his penis size. However, word soon broke out that his companion in the video had not consented to share it. Revenge porn, a term that will be used to refer to any sexual photos or images posted without someone’s consent, is sadly an all too common occurrence. Why do people feel the need to violate their partners and why is it the victim that often takes the fall when it comes to the despicable act of revenge porn?
Revenge porn is sadly fairly common, but that doesn’t make its consequences any less impactful for victims. A 2017 study found that 1 in 8 Americans active on social media have been targets of revenge porn, with women between the ages of 16 and 26 most likely to be threatened. The U.S. government defines revenge porn as “the sharing of private, sexual materials, either photos or videos, of another person without their consent and with the purpose of causing embarrassment or distress.” This typically occurs following the conclusion of a sexual relationship, with one party attempting to shame and humiliate their former partner. However, photos can also be stolen and distributed due to hacks.
While the main reason for posting revenge porn is believed to be attempting to hurt one’s ex, there are other factors behind the despicable act. Some people share photos to appear powerful online, viewing other people’s intimate images as a sort of trophy. Due to the anonymity of online interactions, many people feel as though they can share images without consequences. Additionally, some people choose to violate others due to financial incentives, as some websites pay for photos and do not verify where they came from or if consent was involved. The consequences of revenge porn can be monumental. It can lead to embarrassment, the destruction of one’s reputation, cyberbullying, and serious mental health problems for victims.
One of the most frustrating aspects of revenge porn is the victim blaming that accompanies it. People question why someone would pose for a provocative image in the first place and enjoy the moral high ground that accompanies never having sent a risqué photo to someone. There are many valid reasons why people would send suggestive photos. Perhaps it was sent to keep the spark alive in a long-term relationship. But the truth is that it doesn’t matter why a photo was taken. We, the voyeur or removed audience, have no right to know. We are not entitled to an explanation as to why someone chose to take the images in the first place.
Judging a woman (as women are more commonly victims of revenge porn) for taking nude photos represents a misogynistic mindset that pigeonholes women into the Madonna-whore dichotomy. People feel safer judging others because they think the same thing can’t happen to them. Instead of judging people for being violated, people need to have compassion for victims. There is a difference between sharing risqué photos and having pictures posted against one’s will. Therefore people who have publicly posed nude can still be victims of revenge porn. The key is consent. If someone did not consent to have a photo shared, then it’s wrong to view that photo. People need to put themselves in the violated person’s position. Would you want your stolen photos viewed by curious strangers?
Though it may seem harmless to view images that have been leaked online without someone’s consent, it is not a victimless crime. When news breaks out that celebrity photos have been hacked or someone’s iCloud was hacked and uploaded, many curious people flood to the internet to check out the images. Because the people who had their images stolen do not know who is now viewing the photos, people think it’s harmless to partake in viewing. However, that is not the case. Viewing these images is taking part in a violation of someone. With plenty of consensual porn available online, it’s easy to avoid and report non-consensual nudity.
Posting revenge porn is a violation of another person. People who hack accounts, steal images, or betray someone they were once close with are all violating an individual and sharing an intimate moment without their consent. And to the people who judge other people for having their photos leaked- have you never trusted anybody before? While it should never be normalized to leak someone’s private photos without their consent, hopefully, people can stop fearing that their personal or professional lives are in jeopardy due to photos being vengefully shared. The issue doesn’t lie within the people who are photographing themselves provocatively; the problem is entirely within the person who leaked the photos.