Image-Based Sexual Abuse among Australian Youths: The Experiences and Perspectives of Victims, Perpetrators and Bystanders

Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) involves the taking or sharing (including threats to share) of intimate (ie, nude or sexual) images (ie, photographs and/or videos) of another person without their consent. Although a growing body of research has examined the consensual sexting behaviors (ie, the sending of intimate images) of youth, little research has specifically examined the extent and nature of IBSA (or the “non-consensual sexting” behaviors) of young people. This chapter presents survey findings relating to the IBSA and intimate image sharing experiences of 293 Australian youth, aged between 16 and 20 years. The study is the first of its kind to examine the experiences of young people from victim, perpetrator, and bystander perspectives, although it is important to acknowledge that these perspectives are not mutually exclusive (ie, the same respondents may have been victims, perpetrators, and/or bystanders). In the context of this chapter, victims comprise respondents who reported having intimate images of themselves taken, shared, and/or threatened to be shared without their consent. Perpetrators comprise respondents who reported having taken, shared, and/or threatened to share intimate images of another person without their consent. Bystanders comprise respondents who reported having been shown and/or sent intimate images of another person.