Think before sharing pics.
Sending and sharing nudes might not seem like a big deal, but it’s become a huge problem. With 92% of girls who’ve sent nudes reporting that they didn’t actually want to send them, and 42% of teens who’ve received nudes re-sharing them, it’s leading to bullying, break-ups, suspensions from school, and, in some cases, suicide. Asking for nudes isn’t okay and sharing them is even worse. It’s time we all start saying ‘no’ to sharing nudes, and call out the people who are. Help us stop the share.
Fact or Cap
Fact
This is correct. Research shows that only 14% of girls in this age group have shared their nudes, while 28% of boys have shared one.
Cap!
The fact is that once an image or video leaves your device, you have zero control over what happens to it. Unfortunately, it can be shared and re-shared many times within seconds. Think about the potential consequences when it comes to intimate image sharing – how might it affect your future jobs, relationships, life?
Cap!
The truth is there are real legal consequences to re-sharing sexual images or videos of a person under the age of 18. In Canadian law, this is considered distribution of Child Pornography and holds a minimum 1-year jail sentence.
Cap!
The fact is while there is definitely an overrepresentation of girls being exploited, there’s been a troubling increase in the number of young men who are sharing their intimate images with strangers online and are being sextorted for large sums of money.
Cap!
If somebody sends you a nude, it’s because they trust you – never violate this trust. Imagine if it were you, your best friend, or your sister? Losing control of an image can happen to anyone, and it’s never their fault. The law is on their side. If you receive a nude (meant for you or not), never show or share it with someone else.
How to respond if someone does ask you to send or share a nude, whether it’s you or someone else in the photo:
Knowing how to respond when someone requests a nude or sexual photo is hard. If the person asking you to take or share a nude with them is a stranger, it might be easiest to stop responding and block them. But, if it’s a friend, partner, crush, or classmate, you might be worried about how turning them down will affect your relationship, or how it will impact your reputation. Ghosting someone is almost impossible when you have to see them at school the next day.
That’s why, we’ve come up with two ways to reply when ignoring is not an option:
The direct way: Be matter of fact and say something like “Please stop sending me these messages”, “it makes me really uncomfortable”, or “I won’t be sending you any nudes/ I don’t want to see your nudes.”
The indirect way: Send them an off-topic image when they ask for a nude. This is a humorous and less confrontational way of saying to them “Every time you ask me for a nude, this is the type of pic you’re going to get. You’re never going to get a nude, so you might as well stop asking”.
For example: your crush asks you for a nude. Instead of sending them a naked picture of your body, send them an image of a bowl of noodles (get it, noods? lol), or a funny GIF.
Want to see some fun scenarios of how this conversation can unfold? Click here
To watch the videos click here.
About Children of the Street
Children of the Street is dedicated to preventing the sexual exploitation and human trafficking of children and youth in British Columbia. We achieve this goal through education strategies, public awareness initiatives, and family support. Children of the Street is a program of PLEA Community Services Society of BC.
We acknowledge that we work, live and play on the unseeded territories of the Kwiketlem, Tseil-Waututh, Sto:lo and Qayqayt peoples.
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