Revenge porn is one of those things that some people think will help them “win” a breakup. If you’re one of those people, shame on you. It’s understandable that you’re heartbroken over a relationship ending, but that doesn’t give you the right to broadcast personal things from the bedroom with your ex for others to see.
While revenge porn isn’t one of those things people do too frequently after a breakup, surprisingly, it’s more common than you might think, as people think it’s the way to stick it to an ex. As rare as it might seem to be, the problem has gotten so prominent that there are laws that are being discussed to help eliminate it and make it a crime. That doesn’t sound like anything that a heartbroken person should want to deal with.
Since we care about trying to shutdown the practice of revenge porn, we’re giving you some info and details about why it needs to stop. Decades ago, this wouldn’t be an issue. But with social media and camera phones available to us all, people are using them to their advantage to try and embarrass and, potentially, ruin another person’s life.
Nobody deserves that, whether they broke your heart or not, and here are a few reasons why it’s time to end revenge porn once and for all.
Revenge porn is a form of sexual violence
You may not be physically harming someone, but, guess what, revenge porn leaves just as big of a bruise to someone. Just as emotional cheating is as bad (if not worse) as physically cheating in a relationship, revenge porn can be more detrimental to someone than disgustingly striking them with a fist.
Since revenge porn is non-consensual, meaning it’s posting illicit material without someone else’s permission, that’s a form of abuse. And, just because they sent you the photos while you were dating, doesn’t mean that they’re your property to do anything you want to with. Unfortunately, some people think the opposite.
With 90 percent of revenge porn victims being women, it’s a clear sign that this is a problem with men having their egos hurt more than their hearts broken. When these guys resort to posting revenge porn, they show that they’re capable of hurting a woman in a way that’s just as damaging as other sexual violence.
Nobody deserves revenge porn to happen to them
Regardless of how a relationship ended between two people, revenge porn isn’t the solution to end things once and for all. In some cases, though, people think that posting this kind of material isn’t as harmful as it is, and therein lies part of the problem — since it’s not totally restricted, people think this is the way to “get back” at their ex for ending things.
The way that revenge porn is accepted, by some, is part of a bigger cultural problem that makes this kind of abuse normal or acceptable. Many will find humor in it or develop an opinion based of circumstances they’ve heard about the relationship, with only a few coming to defense of the victim of the act. There’s something wrong with that.
Revenge porn can carry serious impacts on the victim
It’s one thing to think about how revenge porn can ruin a person’s reputation, painting them in a negative light for sending sexual pictures to a former boyfriend or girlfriend. It’s another thing to think about exactly what emotional and mental issues can come from someone who falls victim to revenge porn.
For example, a girl by the name of Chrissy Chambers — who famously (and bravely) shared her story of being a victim of revenge porn and serves as an advocate for change — didn’t just be treated like a piece of meat for her images. In Chambers’ case, she developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which resulted in night terrors and deep depression. Her crutch was alcohol to help cope with the embarrassment, which led her to nearly committing suicide.
Sure, losing their job, being treat negatively by people who know them, being stalked or being open to further abuse from people are common after falling victim to revenge porn, but there are even more serious issues that can come from this disgusting act. And, according to one study, 93 percent of victims have said that they suffered significant emotional distress, and 82 percent said that impairment impacted their social and occupational functioning.
Sadly, given the info above and the damage that revenge porn does to a person, it’s probably not too shocking that more than half of victims contemplate suicide. For so many reasons, revenge porn should never, ever be an option to try and get back at an ex following a relationship ending.