The growing link between domestic violence and revenge porn

On behalf of Johnson, Sclafani & Moriarty, Attorneys at Law posted in Domestic Violence on Thursday, July 6, 2017.

Domestic violence victims remain in abusive relationships for a host of reasons. One of them is the threat of “revenge porn.” That’s the name commonly given to sexually explicit or nude videos of someone that are distributed without his or her consent.

Abusive partners threaten to send these images, sometimes created consensually and other times surreptitiously, to someone’s family, friends, co-workers and bosses via email, text or social media. Just a few clicks can also put them on the internet for the world to see. Perpetrators of revenge porn are adding another level of psychological abuse to an already toxic relationship and another source of power for abusers over their victims.

As the phenomenon has grown, those in positions of authority at the national level have taken notice. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said, “Threats of violence and intimidation are among the most favored weapons of domestic abusers, and the rise of social media has only made those tactics more commonplace.”

Penalties for revenge porn vary by state. Massachusetts currently doesn’t have a law on the books prohibiting it. However, that will change if a bill proposed by Gov. Charlie Baker makes it through the legislature. The U.S. Congress is also considering legislation, the Online Safety Modernization Act of 2017, that would make revenge porn illegal nationwide.

Regardless of the law, there are steps that victims can take if the images are posted on social media or websites. Twitter and Facebook have policies prohibiting revenge porn. Contact them if images have been posted there. You can also contact Google to prevent images from being found in a search. However, the company can’t delete websites. Therefore, if images have been posted on a site, you need to contact the webmaster. You can also seek a restraining order to prevent someone from distributing the images.

Of course, taking these steps may only exacerbate problems for a person who is in an abusive relationship. A Massachusetts attorney can help you get the restraining orders you need to help ensure your safety. Your attorney can also help you get the support you need to get away from your abuser and bring him or her to justice.

Source: Huffington Post, “Threats Of Revenge Porn: A New Way To Silence Survivors Of Domestic Violence,” Adam Dodge, accessed July 06, 2017