Persisting concerns about image exposure among survivors of image-based sexual exploitation and abuse in childhood

Among survivors of image-based sexual exploitation and abuse, how many experienced persisting concerns about others encountering their sexual images?

Online self-administered questionnaire was used. A sample of 189 unique incidents of image-based sexual abuse or exploitation in childhood from 154 respondents ages 18-28 were gathered in a follow-up study to a previous national online survey about technology-facilitated abuse.

Twenty-six percent of the episodes generated high levels of persisting concern about possible unwanted exposure from the online availability of images. Among those who knew their image was publicly posted, 86% reported high levels of concern, but among the survivors confident that the images were not available online, only 7% had high levels of concern. There was also greater concern about exposure among survivors who experienced the abuse incident within the last 3 years. Abuse at the hands of other juveniles resulted in a similar level of concern as abuse by adults.

The study highlights that some survivors of sexual image exploitation and abuse have persistent concerns about further image exposure to other audiences. Survivors with lower levels of persistent concern are typically those who do not believe the images are available online. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).