Tackling the phenomenon of nude image-sharing among young people is both a safeguarding and an education priority as we respond to revelations about sexual harassment and abuse in schools. Charlotte Aynsley advises


Nude image-sharing – the sharing of sexually explicit photos, messages, or other content – is not an unusual behaviour in secondary schools and is not a new phenomenon.

A Brook and CEOP survey from 2017 (McGeeney & Hanson, 2017) found that 26 per cent of 2,135 young people aged 14 to 24 surveyed had sent a nude image to someone they were interested in; 48 per cent had received one.

Consensual sexual interactions are a healthy part of growing up, but when it comes to explicit digital media, the permanence, ease of sharing and existing laws complicate matters.

Further, the non-consensual sharing of images constitutes a serious and alarmingly widespread issue.

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