The Mental Health Impact of Revenge Porn Among Adolescents

Eyer, SBE (Sherry)¹, Eyer (Jacob)²,
¹Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave NE, 20003, Washington DC
²Vrije Universiteit (VU), Amsterdam, The Netherlands

 

Submission type

Oral only

Scheduled

Room 119, 12-07-2019, 09:00 - 10:30

Keywords

Cyber-bullying, mental health, sexual harassment, revenge porn

Summary

The increased attention on bullying in general and specifically cyber-bullying has received a lot concern and attention among school personnel.  This presentation aims to review the literature on the use of technology to harm or harass adolescents in a hostile, deliberate manner.  The focus will be on the emotional and mental health among students who have experienced revenge porn, a form of cyberbullying in which one individual posts nude or semi-nude images of another individual online.  Most of the literature on revenge porn is qualitative in nature and has revealed that serious mental and emotional impact on the individuals impacted, including issues related to trust, posttraumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”), anxiety, depression and suicidality.  The impact of revenge porn includes being forced to move to a new school, shame and humiliation among school peers, and victim blaming. Because these images are difficult to remove once posted, there is potentially long lasting and continued harm to the individuals impacted. The research has also highlighted the similarities between revenge porn and sexual assault.  Policy recommendations and school response to these concerns will be discussed.

Auteurs