Cyberflashing
Also known as:
- online sexual harassment
- sexual harassment
- unsolicitied image-sharing
- indecent exposure
- nude sharing
- dick pics
What is Risk ?
Digital risk factors associated with their interests and activities
It is most commonly recognised for someone sending a sexual image of themselves to someone else. For example, sending a photo of your genitalia.
It can also be sharing graphic physical and sexual material from another source. For example, sharing a link to a pornographic video.Someone who has been sent a nude image may or may not know the person who sent it.
Cyberflashing can happen in different ways, including:
- direct messaging (DMs), messaging services and text messages
- dating apps and dating websites
- device-based image-sharing tools, for example, Apple’s AirDrop
- live streams or video calls
Someone who has been sent nude images may be able to see a preview of it without accepting or opening a media file.
Cyberflashing is a criminal offence.
Where this can happen
Risks and motivations
Risks
Harassment or intimidation
Being sent unsolicited sexual images can be distressing. It can cause feelings of embarrassment, discomfort, and intimidation.
Cyberflashing is not always just a single incident. It can be part of a continuous campaign of harassment. For example, a pile-on.
Poor physical or mental health
Cyberflashing can damage someone’s mental or physical health. It can cause feelings of anxiety or depression.
It can also cause someone to feel the need to change their behaviour to feel safe. For example, to catch a different train after being sent nude images through Airdrop when travelling.
Cyberflashing can have a long-term impact on someone’s well-being.
Possessing illegal material
People who have been sent unsolicited sexual images could be inadvertently in possession of illegal material. For example,child sexual abuse materials.
It is illegal for anyone to create, share, or possess nude imagery of someone under the age of 18. Laws relating to indecent images of children are designed to protect children rather than criminalise them.
Reputational damage
Young people can be cyberflashed when they are in a public space. This could leave them feeling humiliated or worried about what others might think.
Young people could be spammed with nude imagery on their social media accounts or live-streams. They may be concerned about what their viewers or followers think.
Consequences of cyberflashing
If someone has sent a nude image or video to someone else, there could be consequences, like:
- intervention from the police
- punishment by a school or education setting
- damage to relationships or bullying
- widespread sharing of imagery that is sent
Motivations
Reasons someone might send sexual imagery or video to someone else include:
- as a way to get their attention
- peer pressure
- to troll or shame someone
- as a joke
- a limited understanding of boundaries, consent and appropriate sexual behaviour
Young people’s voice
I’ve had people send me pictures that I just don’t want to see… like this boy two days ago, he just sent me so many pictures… I thought I knew him… and I said no, I’m like seeing someone right now… and then later he just kept sending them to me later that evening, even though I’d said no.
18-year-old.
Not Just Flirting- The unequal experiences and consequences of nude image-sharing by young people, Revealing reality, 2022.
What you can do
In cases where a child or young person has shared an explicit or nude image of anyone under the age of 18, GOV.UK advises the following:
- report it to your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), or equivalent, immediately. Your setting’s child protection policy will outline codes of practice to be followed.
- never view, copy, print, share, store or save the imagery yourself, or ask a child to share or download it. This is illegal.
- if you have already viewed the imagery by accident (for example, if a young person has shown it to you before you could ask them not to), report this to the DSL (or equivalent) and seek support.
- do not delete the imagery or ask the young person to delete it.
- do not ask the child/children or young person(s) who are involved in the incident to disclose information about the imagery. do not share information about the incident with other members of staff, the young person(s) it involves or their, or other, parents and/or carers.
- do not say or do anything to blame or shame any young people involved.
- do explain to them that you need to report it and reassure them that they will receive support and help from the DSL (or equivalent).
GOV.UK also suggest that: “The DSL should be familiar with the full 2024 guidance from the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS), Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people, and should not refer to this guidance instead of the full guidance.”
If you think that a young person is at risk, follow your safeguarding procedure and read our safeguarding guidance.
Support
Talking can be one way to help a child or young person recover from experiences of cyberflashing.
A discussion might involve:
- how to report instances of cyberflashing to the police, a school, or a platform
- reviewing privacy settings on platforms, devices, or services.
- the importance of things like personal boundaries and consent35
- the risks associated with cyberflashing
- the law around cyberflashing
- that they are not to blame if they’ve received unsolicited nude imagery
- speaking to a trusted adult if they’re unsure about something, or if something has upset them
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: Confidential 24/7 Support (The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN)) – Website
- The Sexual Offences Act 2003, Section 66 (GOV.UK) – Website
- The Sexual Offences Act (Scotland) 2009, Section 6 (GOV.UK) – Website
- Concerned about a child or young person’s sexual behaviour? (Stop It Now) – Website
- Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: how to respond to an incident (overview) (GOV.UK) – Website
Read more about cyberflashing
Share your experience of cyberflashing
You can tell us about:
- other terms you might have heard
- conversations you’ve had with young people
- a related platform or app
- another related risk or harm