Sending nudes has been a thing since the beginning of time, and more so since you could e-mail pictures. Nudes go way back, all the way over two thousand years ago in ancient Greece where they literally sculpted real-life nudes into statues. In recent times the naked body has been sexualised more and more, and coming in to the 20th century solidified the evolution of homosapians sex drives and sexual exploration all together. People began encapsulating the human body for not only art, but erotic use too, whether that be between two individuals or to be sold on.

As technology and humans have developed we can now take an immaculate renaissance photos of our bodies anywhere at any time with the click of a button. Like anything, when something becomes more accessible – you’re more likely to do it. Having access to mobile phones with installed cameras with insane quality and social media, it takes less than a minute to take and send a nude. It’s quick, it’s easy – but that’s the problem sometimes, you aren’t thinking about who you send it to. Further down the article will delve more into this.

I’m going to discuss revenge porn, how to protect yourself (more) online, the dangers of sending explicit photos online and the reasons why people do it. Why do you send nudes? Probably the same reason as the next person.

Are You Over 18?

Did you know that if you’re under the age of 18, and you send sexually explicit images of yourself, you can get done with distributing photos of child pornography – even though the images are of yourself?

Child Law Advice states, “In the UK the age of consent for sexual intercourse is 16. However, it is an offence to make, distribute, possess or show any indecent images of anyone aged under 18, even if the content was created with the consent of that young person. The law is contained in section 1 Protection of Children Act 1978.”

Likewise, the recipient of the image can also get done for being in possession of child pornography if the person in the images is under the age of 18. There’s a great series on BBC iPlayer called ‘Nudes’ about three young people who’s sex lives are shared online and their life is turned upside down after their private content goes public.

The Dangers of Sending Nudes Online

Ultimately most of us do know the dangers of sending nudes online and that is.. They can get out.

It’s a risk any way you look at it because everything online is forever – soon as you post anything – no matter if you delete it or it ‘disappears’ it’s somewhere there on the cloud and someone will be able to access it. The world is a scary place now due to the advancement of technology, thanks to the internet. Nothing seems sacred anymore. This article isn’t to stop you from sending nudes, nor is it saying you should be sending nudes it’s more of a third eye – don’t be ignorant to the possibilities. It’s all well and good thinking we live in a perfect world and you shouldn’t have to worry about these things, but we don’t and you do. You need to protect yourself.

Also, with the slip of your thumb you could end up posting it for everyone to see, or sending to the wrong person by accident – there’s always a risk involved.

So if you do send your significant other – or anybody else for that matter – explicit content just think about a few things before you do, and stay safe. Make sure you trust them, and if you don’t, either tell them you don’t trust them or just point blank refuse. Consent is consent no matter which way you look at it. If you say no, they don’t have the right to question that answer. No means no!

Things to Consider Before Sending Nudes

• Do you trust this person?
• Are you sending this nude because you want to? You aren’t being pressured into sending it are you?
• Are you sending it with your face in? To avoid proof of identity when it comes to sending images, be aware if you have any tattoos/ birthmarks/ or any other significant marks on your body that you can be easily identified by. Therefore, if you do happen to send an explicit image, try to avoid including those. Likewise, your face – try and avoid sending images with your face in as you won’t be able to 100% identify it as you. Therefore if your images do get exposed, there’s no proof ultimately to prove that the content is of you.

What is Revenge Porn?

As it goes, we still have a long way to go on criminalising revenge porn, and I am personally disgusted at how the law handles it. But at least we are getting somewhere. On the 13th April 2015 Section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 came into force. This created a new criminal offence of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress. This is more commonly known as revenge porn. Crucial to the offence are: (a) the lack of consent of the individual appearing in the photograph and film; and (b) the intent to cause that individual distress. The legislation made sharing of such images or films a specific offence in its own right and covered all social media platforms and electronic communication. A person who is found guilty of an offence of sharing sexual or private photographs or videos without consent can be sentenced to up to two years in prison or fined, or both. The punishment should definitely be higher considering the damage it can cause to someone’s livlihood. Revenge porn can destroy someone’s home life, family, relationships, career, future, everything! And no – it’s not their fault for the images being in the hands of the wrong person.

Revenge Porn – What Happens When Private Becomes Public?

Did you know revenge porn is illegal in the UK?

What to do if someone threatens to expose your private images – don’t fall into the blackmail. It is illegal. Keep record of all communication between you and your blackmailer. Also, if you choose to make a video of you having sex with someone and it’s to be kept between the two of you – it should be kept between the two of you. If that person consents to the act, they’re not consenting to it being shared as well. Just because you consent to one thing doesn’t mean you consent to whole array of other things. Learn more about consent on my Condoms and Consent article.

This also goes for hacking. Although there can be things to consider before you send an explicit image – revenge porn isn’t your fault. Just because you shared a photo or an intimate moment in confidence with someone, doesn’t mean that you consent to other people being able to see it.

Revenge Porn Laws

The law states that it is not revenge porn if the photograph or video is shared for the purposes of journalism. For example, a private photograph of you could be published in a newspaper as part of a news story if the person who shared the photograph reasonably believed it was in the public interest.

The law also states that it is not an offence for someone to share a photograph or video of you if they believed that it had already been shared or published, with your consent and that you had been paid. For example, if there is a photograph of you on a pornographic website, someone might see it and assume you have consented to it being posted and been paid for the photo. They might then share it with someone else. That is not an offence. However if the person who originally posted the image did so without your consent, they may be guilty of an offence.

Why Do People Send Nudes? Naked is Normal!

Body positivity and body confidence is not anything that should be shunned. Taking nude photos of yourself can increase confidence proportionally, and help with self-esteem and self-acceptance. You may not even be taking nudes to send to anybody else, maybe you take them because you want to feel good. Mood is also a dependent factor on whether someone may or may not want to send/receive nudes. We can’t pretend that sending nudes simply isn’t a thing – because it is – especially in this generation. But not everyone wants to see a dick pic at 7am in the morning – some may, but not all.

However, if you’ve ever been subject to revenge porn abuse, you may have a distorted version on the topic of taking and sending nudes now. Just because one person has betrayed your trust doesn’t mean that everyone in your life will behave in that way. Learn to love yourself again, and your body – in its full glory. If you don’t send nude pictures for whatever reason – that is your prerogative and you don’t need to explain yourself. Consent is the main thing in any sexual scenario and you have the right to your own privacy.

Likewise for those who want to embrace their nakedness online and in a public fashion you’re also well within your rights to do that, just bare in mind the dangers and risks that can surround in doing so. As they saying goes, “Nudity can empower some and modesty can empower others.” So whether you choose to send nudes or not – it doesn’t make a difference – we are all human and we have needs. Some want to send nudes, others don’t – that’s fine. Just respect other people’s decisions and if someone trusts you enough to send you explicit images or record a sex tape with you – don’t be a dick.

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