There should be no grey areas when it comes to consent and sexual harassment.

Cyberflashing
(noun)
The act of sending someone nude pictures
online without their consent.

When you send a picture online, it’s easy to forget that a real person is receiving it. You don’t see their reaction. You don’t know how it’s made them feel. What you think is fun might be intimidating. What you think is a joke might be upsetting. What you think is sexy might actually be creepy.

Cyberflashing is sexual harassment. It can be distressing and intimidating whatever your age, and it’s happening every single day.

When you receive a picture like this, it can be shocking, and you might not know how to react. You might feel upset. You might feel angry. But it isn’t your fault, and you aren’t powerless.

Block the sender and report to the platform where it happened (dating site, social media etc)

Speak to someone you trust about it and seek support

You can also use our campaign toolkit to make some noise on social media and challenge the sending of unsolicited sexual photos.

It is illegal to send naked images of, or to, people under 18. If this has happened to you it is important to tell someone. Speak with a trusted adult or an organisation like Brook, or Childline on their website or by calling 0800 1111.

If you are over 18, consent is key. Even if you know the person, or you’re in a relationship with them, you should think of sending nudes as a sexual act and something you need to get consent for every time. If you can’t ask or you don’t get consent then you shouldn’t send a nude. Consent applies every time.

For more information about consent, sexting and nudes, click here.

Cyberflashing is set to become a criminal offence, but that doesn’t mean it will stop overnight. People need to understand the harm sending these images causes and that there is a real person at the receiving end.

Use our campaign toolkit to spread the word on social media about the #StopCyberflashing campaign.