The Fight Isn’t Yours but Ours: The Revenge Porn Helpline’s Combat Strategy
“It’s my body, and it should be my choice, and the fact that it is not my choice is absolutely disgusting. I can’t believe that we even live in that kind of world.”
These were the words from Jennifer Lawrence after intimate photos of multiple celebrities were released. It confirmed the truth that society feared: we were all vulnerable, regardless of social status. It exposed the harsh reality that anyone could be a victim, forcing women everywhere to consider the haunting hypothetical question, ‘What if it had been me?’
Image-based Sexual Abuse - What is it?
Image based sexual abuse is the act of an individual usually an abusive ex-partner threatening to distribute or share sexual images of another without their consent.
THE REVENGE PORN HELPLINE
The Revenge Porn Helpline’s latest annual report for 2024 shows a worrying rise in cases, with 3,854 more than the previous year. This brings the total number of cases reported that year to 22,275.
The haunting question of ‘what if it had been me?’ was no longer hypothetical for these victims, it was them and they needed a practical solution, making them turn to the medium that created the problem in the first place, the internet. Among the many recommendations they might have encountered online, The Revenge Porn Helpline would have been the most solid solution to turn to.
ACCESSIBILITY
The Helpline is one of the most trusted resources for victims in the UK.
(To help victims outside the UK, the Helpline also has a comprehensive list of organisations that operate around the world organised by country).
It can be daunting to tell your loved ones; we can only imagine the strength it takes to tell a stranger. However, this process is greatly supported by Helpline staff. The first relief victims get is that all the information exchanged remains strictly confidential and personalised. Victims are not asked any personal details such as their name or age, offering them a vital sense of security and control. The Helpline aims to be as flexible as possible when offering their services to victims. The Revenge Porn Helpline, in addition to their phoneline and email, has ‘Reiya’, its 24/7 Chatbot, on their website. Reiya ensures that their services are accessible at all times. It provides information and guidance on what intimate image abuse is and helps tailor services available to the victim.
IMMEDIATE ACTION
The Helpline offers a large number of step-by-step guides for content removal and detection that victims can follow whilst also helping them side by side. Guides on setting up Google Alerts and reporting URL links to trace, track and remove private images are explained in detail to help victims actively counter the issue. The Revenge Porn Helpline also helps victims in using reverse image searching to find images that victims specifically know have been shared without consent. The Helpline has a 90% removal rate, collaborating with websites and organisations to take down images as soon as they can.
FREE LEGAL ADVICE
The Revenge Porn Helpline helps victims by signposting them to free legal advice centres such as the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre and the Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre. Institutions offering services to aid victims are highlighted on their website with further hyperlinks and specific contact details to ensure accessibility.
PROGRESSION
The Revenge Porn Helpline constantly keeps itself updated with how crimes are committed with the advancement of technology. Their updates on voyeurism and upskirting laws and their quick response to deepfakes and planned action to take when a person is encountered and threatened with them are impressively outlined for the victims to understand. The Helpline collaborated with Kaspersky, a multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider, on a global study about intimate image abuse / image based sexual abuse. This reflects their commitment and collaborative spirit in combating intimate image exploitation.
A Glimpse Inside
We had the opportunity to speak with Kate, who has been working at the Revenge Porn Helpline for the past seven years. She shared the Helpline’s approach to supporting victims and the importance of a multi-layered response beyond just legislation.
“The first phone call with a victim is usually focused on reassurance —making it clear that they have done nothing wrong” shared Kate. This is followed by practical advice that they can use immediately. A detailed follow-up email is also sent, providing additional information. Importantly, victims can reach out to the Helpline as many times as they need, whenever they need, making the service highly accessible.
When it comes to navigating legislation which often spans hundreds of pages, it can be overwhelming for victims seeking clarity. While laws are crucial in empowering action, Kate emphasized that they are just "one part of the puzzle." A multi-layered approach is necessary such as incorporating legal measures into trained support systems.
Through data analysis, the Helpline monitors conviction rates, charges, and legal outcomes across different years and legislative periods. Awareness of the law is improving, but misinformation remains a challenge. Educating the public can help victims understand their rights and may encourage more charges to be pressed.
Additionally, Kate brought to attention the importance of proper training on the part of the law enforcement and police forces as essential to ensure victims receive appropriate support when they report incidents and improve confidence in their abilities from the public.
For anyone seeking help, Kate’s message from the Helpline is as follows:
“You are not alone; you have done nothing wrong and we are here to help.”
Whenever you contact the Helpline, Kate firmly stated that you can count that,
“Behind every email and phone call, there is always a compassionate person ready to listen and support you”
Conclusion
The work done by the Revenge Porn Helpline reminds us that in any situation, there are people, resources and solutions out there to help us face the devastating aftermath, but the fight is not theirs alone.
The Revenge Porn Helpline has signposted over 300 clients to the Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre for legal support. The Centre is known for its impactful work in relation to the sharing of private images to embarrass (SPITE), conducting several strands of SPITE work (policy, advice and public legal education). The QMLAC recently earned recognition at the Lexis Nexis Legal Awards for their work in this area, winning the University Pro Bono Award, which has coincided happily with the QMLAC celebrating 10 years of the SPITE projects.
Removing these images is not the final goal, it’s the restoration of dignity and a sense of security in an evolving digital world. Supporting agencies like the Revenge Porn Helpline is one step closer to a future in which everyone’s privacy and security is protected. So, let’s take that step today.
Instead of asking, ‘What if it had been me?’;
Ask yourself, ‘Am I prepared to act if it happens to me or someone I care about?’.
Visit revengepornhelpline.org.uk to learn how to take proactive steps today.
By Uma Chidambaram Selvamani, Student Blog Writer at QMLAC and LLB Law Student.
This blog is for information only and does not constitute legal advice on any matter. While we always aim to ensure that information is correct at the date of posting, the legal position can change, and the blogs will not ordinarily be updated to reflect any subsequent relevant changes. Anyone seeking legal advice on the subject matter should contact a specialist legal representative.
References
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1319889/uk-victims-of-intimate-image-abuse-by-age-and-gender/
https://revengepornhelpline.org.uk/
https://swgfl.org.uk/assets/documents/revenge-porn-helpline-2024-annual-report.pdf