Instances of nude photos or sex tapes of people going viral are abound today. In 2019, a newspaper reported that , with many sharing and reposting the video. The presumably vengeful release of what was supposed to be a private video to the public eventually led to the expulsion of the student from school. Since then, many other cases of revenge porn have been reported in the media. The question then is what continues to fuel acts like this, and what can be done to combat it?
There has been a noticeable growth in the use of digital technology, particularly mobile phones, in Nigeria over the last decade. Data from reveals that as of early 2024, there were a total of 205.4 million active cellular mobile connections in the country and 103.0 million internet users. A sizable percentage of this number are young people between the ages of 18 and 39, whom research has shown are more likely to use the internet than people 40 and above.
Access to digital technology offers numerous benefits to young people, including better educational and career opportunities. Access to the Internet also has broader socio-economic and political benefits as it increases social inclusion and connectedness and provides an avenue for civic engagement.
However, on the other side of internet use lie some negative outcomes such as social media addiction, cyberbullying, sexual abuse, and risky social and sexual behaviours. With the increased adoption of digital technology came the exacerbation of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), more commonly known as revenge porn, among young adults, particularly students in higher institutions of learning.
Image-based sexual abuse is the taking, sharing, distribution or threat of distribution of nude or sexual images and, in some cases, videos and texts of a person without consent. It should be noted that sexting and other forms of exchange of sexual content on the internet can be considered normal parts of adult relationships in today’s world, and motivations for engaging in this behaviour range from fun to maintaining relationships to building intimacy where physical interaction is limited or impossible.
The sharing and receiving of sexually suggestive images and texts is quite prevalent among young adults in Nigeria. In their , "Sexting: Prevalence, Predictors, and Associated Sexual Risk Behaviours among Postsecondary School Young People in Ibadan, Nigeria", Olatunde and Balogun found that 31.9% of the participants knew someone who had sent sexually suggestive images or texts, while 20.1% had sent sexts themselves and 33.2% had received them.
However, abuse occurs when such interactions are weaponised or taken beyond the bounds permitted by the person who owns those images. According to the image-based sexual abuse is one of the most common forms of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence.
The consequences of image-based sexual abuse are severe. Victims in various studies have reported feeling blamed for the abuse, even in instances where they were secretly recorded without their consent. Victims of image-based sexual abuse often experience condemnation, public shame, rebuke, abuse, chastising, denials, and isolation.
As a result, individuals who experience image-based sexual abuse may drop out of university, either voluntarily or due to expulsion or parental refusal to pay school fees. In some cases, they may also lose their jobs and source of income and be forced to change their residence. All these lead to a range of psychological and emotional ramifications, including mental stress, anger, upset, fear, disturbed sleep, hopelessness, sadness, guilt, depression, and suicidal ideation.
Notably, image-based sexual abuse disproportionately affects women. In a society that holds women to higher standards of morality, women who fall victim to this type of abuse are unable to seek help as they are shunned by the institutions that should protect them and society in general.
Abusers often take advantage of this, intentionally targeting young women and exploiting their images for sextortion, revenge, fulfilling voyeuristic tendencies, and, in many cases, financial reward. Image-based sexual abuse is a prevalent issue that often involves perpetrators who are known to the victim, such as current or former partners. However, image-based sexual abuse can also be perpetrated by individual’s unknown to the victim.
Image-based sexual abuse, or more specifically, revenge porn, is a crime in Nigeria. Section 170 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prevention and Prohibition) Act criminalise revenge porn in Nigeria. However, the socio-cultural contexts highlighted above often prevent victims from seeking legal recourse.
Therefore, it is opined that fighting image-based sexual abuse in Nigeria requires a holistic approach and a socio-cultural shift within our overall digital culture. Perpetrators of image-based sexual abuse continue to engage in the act because they are almost assured of a favourable public response in which the victim is blamed and shamed.
Clearly, criminalizing the act is not enough. Comprehensive digital literacy, proactive prevention measures, and strong support systems for victims and survivors are essential in effectively combating image-based sexual abuse in Nigeria.
Digital literacy is the ability to use digital technologies effectively, safely and responsibly. Digital literacy goes beyond being able to use digital tools. It is a robust concept that can be a powerful tool in combating image-based sexual abuse and building a safer internet in several ways.
To start with, young adults must be taught about consent, boundaries, privacy rights, ethical use of images and the internet. They should also be exposed to how to identify image-based sexual abuse and understand how to report violations effectively. Raising awareness about the permanence of online content and the risks of sharing intimate images and leveraging digital platforms to create safe spaces where victims can find help and share experiences without stigma can also help in combating image-based sexual abuse and reducing its impact.
Responsible digital behaviour must be strongly encouraged, including encouraging strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and secure sharing practices to prevent unauthorized access to private files. Informing individuals of existing laws around image-based sexual abuse can help deter possible perpetrators.
As the world increasingly deploys Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, particular attention must be paid to teaching people how to identify manipulated images and deepfakes. At the same time, existing laws should be upgraded to apply to circumstances where AI is used to perpetuate image-based sexual abuse.
Lastly and very importantly, we must shift the blame of image-based sexual abuse and all other forms of sexual abuse from the victims to the perpetrators. Victim blaming is one of the major reasons why image-based sexual abuse continues to occur. Individual Internet users must refuse to participate in IBSA either by sharing or reposting leaked or unauthorized images of others or by vilifying people whose sexual images made it to the public domain.
Building a safer internet where young people are protected from abuse is a collective responsibility that requires digital literacy, strong legal frameworks, ethical technology use, and a culture of accountability, and that journey starts with you.
Disclaimer: This article series is published with the inputs from the SDG 4 Youth & Student Network members. The series provides them with a platform for expression where they present their work as a source of inspiration for others. The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. UNESCO does not endorse any project or organization mentioned in the article.
Author Bio
Taibat Hussain is a PhD researcher at the University of East Anglia. Her research interests lie at the intersection of education and gender, focusing on how children and young people engage with digital technology, their experiences, and their vulnerabilities to sexual violence, including online sexual violence.
