The Impact of Revenge Porn

While I was writing my recent book, I came across the notion that revenge porn – which massively increased during lockdown, and which is spreading amongst school-age children – is a ‘rather low-level’ example of radical revenge that may cause personal difficulties, but nothing too serious. Mental health professionals who work with victims of revenge porn know that this is, quite simply, way off the mark.

According to a study by the US-based Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, 80 per cent of respondents had experienced severe emotional distress and anxiety as a result of being a victim of revenge porn. In one case, an ex-partner posted a woman’s intimate photos along with an advert saying that she was looking for rough sex. When someone replied, the ex-partner provided him with the woman’s address; the respondent went to her house and brutally raped her, later pleading he’d thought she wanted to be abused.

In another case, a young schoolgirl was sodomised and forced to have oral sex with a boy in her school. Traumatised by the attack, the girl was then further devastated to find out that the assailant had filmed the attack and that the video was circulating all around the school. She ended up having to transfer to a different school.  

A more high profile example is that of the former Love Island contestant, Zara McDermott, who spoke in a BBC3 documentary about her experience of revenge porn, which left her feeling suicidal.

Victims of revenge porn often feel violated, vulnerable, and deeply distrusting of others. They may struggle to start new relationships because they are understandably anxious about letting their guard down. Difficulties with trust often get played out in the consulting room, and may be enacted in all sorts of ways. Working with victims of revenge porn calls for great patience and sensitivity on the part of the therapist, who may have to wait a considerable time before their patient can begin to talk freely about what they have been through.

Psychoanalytic practice shows us the importance of providing patients with this time, during which the therapist’s countertransference – which might include a sense of confusion or helplessness or even anger – can give valuable insights into how the patient herself is feeling. 

Therapists may also encounter a (misplaced) sense of guilt among victims of revenge porn. Some may feel guilty or ashamed for having agreed to send their intimate photos to someone who later betrayed them, or foolish for having knowingly let someone take intimate photos of them. Of course, these feelings of shame, guilt, and responsibility may also relate to other earlier experiences. These can, over time, be brought into the consulting room to be thought about with a therapist who has come to be trusted.

Victims of revenge porn can also experience severe anxiety. This is compounded by the fact that, once the videos or photos are ‘out there’, there can be a constant fear of exposure. 

Many countries, including Britain, are considering the introduction of legislation that would criminalise the non-consensual dissemination of sex tapes and other personal images. But even when such legislation is introduced, implementing and monitoring it will remain a huge challenge. Until the scourge of revenge porn is truly brought under control, mental health practitioners will need to continue to provide a space where its impact on individuals –  including children and adolescents – can be safely shared and explored.