Dissertation
Image-Based Sexual Abuse: An Exploratory Analysis of Victims and Perpetrators in a Public University Setting
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000005129
Abstract
In 1997, a sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee was released by a hired contractor who stole it from their home then released the tape for money (Siegel et al., 2022). In 2014, over 600 cloud accounts were hacked containing nude photos of celebrities, whose images were later posted online and to several revenge porn websites (Johnson, 2015). These are just two publicized examples of image-based sexual abuse from the past decade. This dissertation focuses on the harm caused by image-based sexual abuse and how current statutes are insufficient to combat these harms. A sample of students from Washington State University were surveyed about their engagement with sending and receiving intimate imagery, as well as their vicarious experiences with it. Results show that men and women engage in sexting at similar rates. Relationship status has a significant effect on someone’s likelihood to share an intimate image of themselves, and most people share images with current partners. Rates of perpetration and victimization are discussed, as well as social contract theory and male peer support theory. I end my discussion with policy implications and suggestions to increase awareness of image-based sexual abuse behaviors.
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Details
- Title
- Image-Based Sexual Abuse
- Creators
- Kylee Runyan
- Contributors
- Laurie Drapela (Advisor)Amelie Pedneault (Committee Member)David Brody (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Criminal Justice and Criminology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 184
- Identifiers
- 99901019835401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation