Sharing nude photos and sex videos without permission counts as sexual harassment and abuse, and is illegal in some states. That should be obvious, but many people are somehow hazy on the principals behind what is commonly known as "revenge porn" — sharing intimate images of someone without their consent. In fact, a recent survey by SKYN condoms found that 1 in 3 people have shared a sexual photo without permission.
That's why a group of students at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is fighting back. Collectively known as The Bruin Consent Coalition, these students have banned together with and organization called Breakthrough to create a poster series raising awareness of sexual harassment online and via text.
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'"#LetsPictureConsent looks at nonconsensual photo sharing — often called 'revenge porn” — and asks students to consider these acts as another form of sexual violence," the group said in a statement shared with Refinery29. "We’ve created a series of images representing different forms of nonconsensual photo sharing, ranging from unwanted 'dick pics' to sharing intimate photos with groups of friends."
The campaign launched, appropriately, on Valentine's Day.
Students hope the images will change the way people think about sharing intimate photos and videos.
"We often hear people suggesting that the practice of spreading intimate photos is 'harmless' or less 'real' than any other form of abuse," the coalition said. "But when abuse, humiliation, and harassment happen online they are still abuse, humiliation, and harassment."
Click here to Breakthrough's site for more information, to share the photos, or to get involved with the campaign.