Seeking Justice and Redress for Victim-Survivors of Image-Based Sexual Abuse

Abstract

Despite apparent political concern and action—often fuelled by high-profile cases and campaigns—legislative and institutional responses to image-based sexual abuse in the UK have been ad hoc, piecemeal and inconsistent. In practice, victim-survivors are being consistently failed: by the law, by the police and criminal justice system, by traditional and social media, website operators, and by their employers, universities and schools. Drawing on data from the first multi-jurisdictional study of the nature and harms of, and legal/policy responses to, image-based sexual abuse, this article argues for a new joined-up approach that supports victim-survivors of image-based sexual abuse to ‘reclaim control’. It argues for a comprehensive, multi-layered, multi-institutional and multi-agency response, led by a government- and industry-funded online or e-safety organisation, which not only recognises the diversity of victim-survivor experiences and the intersection of image-based sexual abuse with other forms of sexual and gender-based violence and discrimination, but which also enables victim-survivors to reclaim control within and beyond the criminal justice system.

Perpetration of Image-Based Sexual Abuse: Extent, Nature and Correlates in a Multi-Country Sample

“…Currently, whilst many jurisdictions have introduced criminal legislation addressing the distribution of intimate images without consent, the other forms of IBSA are less commonly included. In particular, the taking or creation of intimate images (including digitally altered images, see Flynn et al, 2021, as well as threats of distribution of intimate images, see Flynn & Henry, 2019; Rackely et al, 2021). Indeed, the latter of these is increasingly recognized as a strategy of coercive control in intimate partner violence contexts alongside other technology-facilitated abuse (see e.g., Dragiewicz et al, 2018).…”

Echoing Mechanism of Juvenile Delinquency Prevention and Occupational Therapy Education Guidance Based on Artificial Intelligence

“…Piquero et al believe that interventions for aggressive adolescents can be carried out through joint discussions and role-playing and can achieve good service results [ 5 ]. Rackley et al believe that social skills training and problem-solving training are necessary to reduce the risk of deviant behavior later in life because only after the youths have acquired the relevant social skills and learned how to solve problems, will they be able to cope with similar problems later in life [ 6 ]. The score is calculated by comparing with the real classification label, and the score at this time is an accurate assessment of the predictive ability of the model.…”

The Banality of (Automated) Evil: Critical Reflections on the Concept of Forbidden Knowledge in Machine Learning Research

“…The use of pornographic deepfakes constitutes a type of "image-based sexual abuse" 10 (Henry et al, 2020), and, therefore, a form of "technologyfacilitated gender-based violence" (Dunn, 2020). The consequences for women can be "life-ending, often devastating, relentless and isolating" (Rackley et al, 2021). One survivor defined her extreme emotional distress as "torture for the soul" (McGlynn et al, 2021: 557).…”

“…many difficulties for the legal and psychological protection of its victims 11 (Rackley et al, 2021). Many researchers have warned against the negative uses to which deepfake technology can be put (Westerlund, 2019;Kikerpill, 2020).…”

“…Legislation needs to properly address this issue. Currently, litigation is difficult and costly for victims(Rackley et al, 2021).12 A number of subtle indicators can aid people to detect deepfakes. These range from "unnatural eye direc-…”