Educator Experiences and Responses to Image-Based Sexual Abuse

• In Event: Sex Offenses and the Media

Abstract

In classrooms across Canada, educators are increasingly confronted with the quiet complexities of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) and non-consensual sexting. These moments often unfold not through dramatic disclosures, but through whispered concerns, hesitations to report, or vague references to "something that happened online." This study draws on 100 qualitative interviews with educators from two Canadian provinces to explore how they navigate these sensitive situations. While many expressed a strong sense of care for their students, they also described uncertainty—about legal boundaries, appropriate responses, and the roles they are expected to play. Sexting, as discussed, rarely appeared in its consensual form. Instead, it emerged through the lens of harm, stigma, and fear—particularly for girls. Educators reflected on the limitations of current curricula, the discomfort of addressing sensitive issues related to sexuality, and the absence of clear guidelines when deciding whether to involve police. What surfaces is a picture of professional tension: between duty and discomfort, between legal obligation and relational care. This study highlights the need for training, updated resources, and restorative approaches that center consent and context. Rather than offering easy solutions, it calls for a deeper conversation about how schools can respond ethically to digital-age harms.

Authors

• Mohana Mukherjee, George Washington University

• Michael Adorjan, University of Calgary

• Rosemary Ricciardelli, Memorial University of Newfoundland