The sharing of nudes is by far the most common form of self-generated content among young people. ECPAT Sweden conducted research and found from 12,836 respondents aged 10 to 17, 48 per cent had sent nude photographs of themselves to others. At the same time, there has been a huge increase in cases of Non-Consensual Image (NCII) abuse which is a form of sexual exploitation material that does not always meet the legal threshold for classification as CSAM, however, it is still harmful and exploitative when shared without the consent of the young person. While the behaviour of sharing nudes online has become more normalised, the risks are less understood (ECPAT Sweden, 2021).

The impact of NCII on young people can cause long-lasting psychological consequences (ECPAT Sweden, 2022). Therefore, it is essential to provide children with a safe space to explore their sexuality while still ensuring their privacy is adequately protected.

The scale of NCII abuse

All cases of NCII abuse should result in both the removal of this content and the prosecution of the offender. However, this is often very challenging. Firstly, once material is online it spreads, making it harder to ensure its removal entirely. Secondly, the act of distributing NCII is difficult to build a legal case around because of challenges associated with determining the accountable party and refraining from victim blaming, as well as currently lacking intimate image abuse laws. While NCII is increasingly being recognised as a crime in different parts of the world, it is yet to be recognised everywhere, which creates limitations when the abuse is online and the online abuse of NCII is borderless.

Whether coerced through grooming, extorted through the threat of sharing or the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, NCII is a major concern. Our UK hotline, the Internet Watch Foundation, reported that in 2022, 199,360 of the URLs confirmed as child sexual abuse material was either made and/or shared via an internet-connected device with a camera, as opposed to an abuser being physically present in the room with the victim/s. This is a 9% increase compared to 2021.” – (IWF, 2023). The only way to reduce this figure is to promote prevention, provide privacy tooling, and revise international legislation for online crimes related to sexual exploitation and abuse.

How can we tackle NCII abuse?

Prevention only comes through educating young people on sharing their own intimate images and the impact of sharing intimate images of their peers. They need to be much more aware of how to safely navigate digital spaces and this requires open discussion. Many are simply unaware of the legal consequences and mental impact. The distribution of intimate images can be A) a strictly malicious act by the recipient, such as public shaming or revenge porn, or B) an unintentional act of harm by the recipient due to a lack of awareness.


Discover the ways to tackle this crime, click here to read part three of this three-part mini-series on NCII.