Bystanders have an important role to play in combatting image-based abuse.
Bystanders to image-based abuse
19% of online Australians 18+ received a nude or sexual image/video that was shared without the consent of the person depicted or they were unsure of consent
Younger people were more likely to be bystanders
22% of women 18 to 45, 9% of women 46+
28% of men 18 to 45, 16% of men 46+
How did bystanders feel when receiving image-based abuse material?
Uncomfortable, 40%
OK with it, 18%
Angry, 17%
Annoyed, 16%
Nothing, 15%
Thought it was funny, 7%
What actions did bystanders take?
44% didn’t do or say anything
34% said something (not specified) to the person who shared the photo/video
9% prefer not to say
7% wanted to say or do something, but didn’t know what
7% told the person in the photo/video
3% reported it to a relevant authority
1% sought advice from others
Source: Research commissioned by eSafety, May 2017. Respondents comprised 3,216 online women aged 15+ and 903 online men aged 18+ in Australia.
