Written by Clementine Chalfant
Sexual harassment is something we often associate with the workplace, but in recent years we have seen sexual harassment take place on social media too. In our digital age, it is easier than ever to reach out to people, send pictures, and connect. While this provides us with many advantages, it also means that consent and boundaries are compromised. Regrettably, 41 per cent of US adults personally experienced some form of harassment online in 2017, with women three times as likely as men to say they’ve experienced online sexual harassment. Mainly, social media provides an opportunity for assailants to have a tighter hold on their victims. The harassment might start as physical and then continue on social media too. This has led to severe encounters becoming more common.
Sending and receiving unsolicited pictures is one of the main forms of online sexual harassment. Over half of women between the ages of 18 and 29 have received an explicit image they did not ask for, according to a 2017 study by Pew Research. This demonstrates worryingly minimal understanding of voluntary consent, something that is required for sexual activity of any kind. While it is legal to send a sexual picture to someone who has consented, it is important to be wary of sending them in the first place. The online world does not guarantee privacy even if you are sending a consensual photo to someone you trust. For example, it is easy for the recipient to take a screenshot of the picture and store it for their own use or share it with others online. Again, consent is crucial here and it is not something that is well taught. Perhaps we should think more about privacy and consent when sending sexual pictures online, and why we are sending them in the first place. According to a study in the Journal of Sex Research, the most common motivation for men sending unsolicited pictures is to get them in return from women. Women, however, tend to send them to keep their partners interested or to feel empowered. This highlights how influential gender roles are, and how social media amplifies them. A study by Sara Thomas, a researcher at Northwestern University, showed that boys are nearly four times as likely to pressure girls to send pictures than the other way around. So, while sending consensual photos is great, keep in mind the internalised pressure women feel from men.
Sending unsolicited pictures is an example of online sexual harassment, but fundamentally, it is an abuse of consent. Yes, we still have a long way to go with teaching our children about consent and what that really looks like, but we perpetuate toxic power dynamics when unsolicited pictures are shared. Education is crucial in minimising sexual harassment online, and while we’re far off from where we’d like to be, let’s start with a simple, “Can I show you my nudes?”
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