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In 2022, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner has received more than a thousand reports of image based abuse (IBA), an increase from six hundred cases reported in 2021. More than half of the reports in 2022 are from people aged between thirteen to twenty-four years old, which is almost double from last year.

IBA happens when an intimate image or video is shared without the consent of the person pictured. This includes images or videos that have been digitally altered (using Photoshop or specialised software). IBA also includes the threat of an intimate image being shared, without the image itself being circulated. Both forms of IBA are often used as a weapon against people on social media apps.

What can you do?

If you find your daughter/child’s image has been shared online, it is important to remember the below key steps:

• Screenshot evidence
  It can be very helpful to have a record of what has happened; before deleting messages or posts, take screenshots of the account usernames, messages and posts involved. This includes URLs and remember to store the evidence in a safe place. Be careful about screenshotting nude images, even if it is a nude selfie. Creating, possessing or sharing nude images of people under eighteen may be a crime
• Report and block
  Make an IBA report to eSafety. You may like to assist your daughter/child in filling out the report form. You can also report the image to the social media site on which it was shared; the posting or sharing of nude images or videos without someone’s consent is against the guidelines of most social media services

If you are concerned about your daughter/child’s physical safety, contact your local police. When you have taken your screenshots and reported what has happened, encourage your daughter/child to block the other person’s account to stop them communicating with your daughter/child.

In response to the increased reporting of the crime, a campaign called ‘SCROLL’ has recently been launched by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner. It is aimed at educating adolescents in particular, on how to respond to online abuse.

If your daughter/child, or someone you know has been the victim of IBA, please contact me or a member of the Wellbeing Team to help you navigate next steps.