Image sharing

People use the internet to create, share or post content about themselves.

Sometimes they might create content, such as photos or videos, that are sexual in nature.

A girl using a phone to share her photos with friends

 

There are different reasons why this might happen, including:

  • being intimate with your partner
  • hoping to get a partner
  • believing that it’s normal to do this. This might come from seeing other people do it, the media or pornography.

This sexual content may:

  • damage the reputation of you and the other people involved
  • lead to face-to-face confrontation
  • impact your relationships with others

Some people use special apps to send sexual content of themselves believing that it will disappear after a short time, or the app will delete the content once the person they send it to sees it.

However, it isn’t true that the app will delete them entirely.

In some cases, the images are stored by the app. Sometimes the people who receive your images can save them to their phone.

It might not be possible to delete your content once it’s on the internet. Once you’ve taken and shared an image, you lose control of who sees it and where it goes – you never know where your personal images might end up. You might even be bullied, blackmailed or pressured into sending more photos.

Not everyone will respect your privacy and keep your personal content to themselves.

Top tips

  • Think before you share images or videos with others.
  • If you receive personal content from someone, such as a photo or video – don’t forward it on to anyone. Respect the person who sent it to you.
  • Treat others the way you would like to be treated.
  • Learn how to block and report people that make you feel unsafe.