Image-based abuse

It is common for people to share visual content digitally, like photos and videos. This includes intimate personal content. But if someone shares or threatens to share a nude image or video of you online without your consent, that’s image-based abuse and it’s illegal.

Image-based abuse

Image-based abuse is when someone shares an intimate photo of you without your consent. The image can be a real photo or video, or one that has been edited, for example, with Photoshop. It is also image-based abuse if someone threatens to share an intimate image of you without your permission.

This can sometimes be called ‘revenge porn’, even though it’s not really about ‘revenge’ or ‘porn’: it’s about betraying trust and showing malicious intent to obtain power and control over someone else.

A very high rate of young adults aged 18 to 24 are likely to have experienced image-based abuse (24% of young women and 16% of young men).

If your image has been added to sexually explicit material, this can sometimes be called a deepfake, morph or face-swap.

Sexual extortion

Sexual extortion is a type of image-based abuse. It is a form of blackmail where someone threatens to share intimate images of another person online unless they give in to the demands. These demands are typically for money, additional intimate images or sexual favours.

Perpetrators often target people through dating apps, social media, webcams or adult pornography sites. While sextortion can be used by individuals, organised crime is often behind it when the perpetrator demands money. The perpetrator is usually not based in Australia.

What to do

If you are the victim of image-based abuse, you should immediately report the event to eSafety.

If you want advice and strategies for dealing with cyber abuse, eSafety’s response guide details what to do in different situations.

If you are at risk of immediate harm, call Triple Zero (000).

As a Deakin student, you can also report cyber abuse to our Safer Community team. Where relevant, a report can be made to Student Conduct or Student Complaints.