The Harm of Revenge Porn
Illustration by Naomi Ruiz | The Corsair
Sexually explicit images or videos of a person posted online — typically by a former sexual or romantic partner — without their consent and to harm their image by publicly slut-shaming them, is the infamous description of revenge porn. According to Revenge Porn Helpline, 75% of victims are female while 67% of perpetrators are male. Unfortunately, these incidents of revenge porn are an ongoing problem.
For example, on November 1, 2019, ex-Congresswoman Katie Hill's privacy was violated when the Daily Mail posted an article containing her private pictures. Not only was this public humiliation, but this was also unethical reporting because the Daily Mail posted the pictures without her consent. On April 8, 2021, Hill lost a case against the Daily Mail over these photos because the judge believed that revenge porn was free speech. As of now, Hill is in an ongoing battle to make this harmful act a federal crime.
Revenge porn is considered free speech because it is protected by the first amendment, despite the violation of a victim's privacy. Revenge porn also makes victims appear as though they deserve to be humiliated; all because they choose to take private photos where they often pose in various outfits including lingerie or pose without any clothes at all. Revenge porn clearly harms the victims even if they only have the intention of privately taking intimate photos for their partners.
Illustration by The Corsair
Cecilie Addis, a Santa Monica College music major, feels that revenge porn leaves a negative impact on women because it can make them feel self-conscious and lose their partner's trust. "It doesn’t matter if the footage was taken knowingly or unknowingly, it is never okay to post something like that of another person. You put them in a very vulnerable position and then show the entire world a video of them in that position," Addis said. "The worst thing is that putting something like that out on the internet, means that it is there to stay."
When it comes to the person responsible for causing harm, Addis strongly believes that the exposer is to blame for putting the victim in an uncomfortable position. "Taking nudes [is] not a bad thing... Especially when you are in a relationship, you might want to send [your] partner a revealing photo of yourself," said Addis. "You trust them because they are your partner. You should never have to worry about them using that against you in the future."
Women can fall victim to revenge porn even if they initially feel safe with their partners or whomever they privately send their pictures to. Even though revenge porn isn't specific to one gender, it affects women to a higher degree because society is more critical of women. Revenge porn is an act of gendered hate speech instead of free speech.
Visit the March Against Revenge Porn website for more information on how to help end revenge porn once and for all.
