Understanding and Preventing Image-Based Sexual Abuse

"Today, digital life is real life. So when intimate images are created or shared without consent, the harm is embodied, multifaceted, and often enduring (McGlynn et al., 2020). Survivors of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) describe a form of violence that can continue indefinitely because the material can reappear, be redistributed, or be weaponized in new settings. Survivors have reported that even leaving jobs or changing addresses does not necessarily help them escape the abuse."

"Survivors often describe the most lasting damage as social exclusion: being treated as "contaminated," avoided at work or school, or quietly pushed out of communities. That aligns with what we know about stigma and ostracism; social rejection reliably predicts distress and negatively affects self-esteem (Gerber & Wheeler, 2009). A growing evidence base also links nonconsensual sharing of intimate images with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, PTSD, and economic challenges (Bates, 2017; Powell et al., 2024; Spiker et al., 2025)."

Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) produces embodied, multifaceted, and long-lasting harm because intimate material can reappear, be redistributed, or be weaponized across contexts. Survivors commonly experience social exclusion, stigma, and ostracism that erode self-esteem and impede social reintegration. Nonconsensual sharing of intimate images is associated with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, PTSD, and economic hardship. Responses limited to content takedowns fail to address secondary victimization and social consequences. Victim-blaming sustains abuse by shifting responsibility and normalizing exclusion. Effective prevention requires shifting social norms about consent, cultivating empathy, and enforcing accountability to protect survivors and reduce harm.

Read at Psychology Today