The psychology of nonconsensual porn : understanding and addressing a growing form of sexual violence.

Abstract

As of 2020, legal protections for victims of image-based sexual abuse in the United States remain inadequate. For example, no federal law yet criminalizes the sharing of sexually intimate material without a person’s consent (i.e., nonconsensual porn), and existing state laws are patchy and problematic. Part of the reason for this problem may be that U.S. lawmakers and the general public have yet to grasp that nonconsensual porn is a form of sexual abuse, with many of the same devastating, recurring, and lifelong consequences for victims. This review of psychological research on nonconsensual porn includes frameworks for understating this image-based sexual abuse, correlates and consequences of victimization, victim blame, and the nature of perpetration. Then, we analyze U.S. laws on nonconsensual porn in light of this review and argue for comprehensive legislative solutions.