Gay people far more likely to be victims of “revenge porn”

A new study on the phenomenon of so called “revenge porn” has found that lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) Americans are more likely to be victims.

The report from the Data & Society Research Institute and the Center for Innovative Public Health Research revealed that 4% of US internet users —roughly 10.4 million Americans — have been threatened with or experienced the posting of explicit images without their consent.

Roughly 3% of online Americans have had someone threaten to post nude or nearly nude photos or videos of them online to hurt or embarrass them, and 2% have had someone post an explicit photo or video of them online without their permission.

“Non-consensual pornography can have a devastating and lasting impact on victims, so it’s vital that we understand how common this is and who is affected,” commented Amanda Lenhart, a Researcher at Data & Society Research Institute and one of the authors of the report.

The study also found that internet users who identify as LGB are far more likely than those who identify as heterosexual to have experienced threats of or actual non-consensual image-sharing.

In fact, 15% of LBG internet users in the US say someone has threatened to post an explicit image an image of them, and 7% say someone has actually posted such an image.

“Our findings show that particular groups — such as young adults and lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans — are not only much more likely to be victims of non-consensual pornography, but are more likely to experience a range of online harassment and abuse,” said Lenhart.

“This includes other types of privacy violations, such as having their online or phone activity monitored, or having their passwords stolen or coerced by others,” she explained.

While women are more likely to be threatened with non-consensual pornography, men and women were equally likely to have photos or videos of themselves actually posted, said the researchers.

“It’s incredibly important that we recognise that men are also victims…” said Michele Ybarra, President and Research Director at the Center for Innovative Public Health Research and one of the authors of the report. “When we talk about victims of ‘revenge porn,’ male victims are often invisible—but hopefully this report will challenge us to think differently.”