“After I wash my hands” - Young adults on reporting harmful sexual images

• In Event: Bystander Intervention and Image-Based Sexual Abuse

Abstract

The digital pornography that young people grow up with today is a two-way street. Users can impact content by seeking out specific genres, and by reporting images that they assess to be harmful or illegal. Reporting hotlines enable internet users to alert authorities to e.g. image-based sexual abuse and child sexual abuse material. But few people know why, what, and how to report when browsing for porn online. Young people are thus left with limited possibilities to act as active bystanders if they witness offensive, harmful, or criminal images. This paper presents findings from interviews with 29 young adults from Belgium and Denmark and uses the bystander intervention model to point to concrete difficulties in reporting harmful sexual images. We conclude that the pro or con debate about pornography neglects to address how young people are navigating the problems and possibilities of an internet of nude images.

Authors

• Sidsel Harder, University of Copenhagen

• Sofie Bovée, University of Copenhagen

• Jakob Demant, University of Copenhagen

• Michel Walrave, University of Antwerp