Anti-Bullying Pro

Sexting and Leaked Images: Support For Young People

What is sexting?

The NSPCC defines sexting as

“when someone sends a naked, or semi-naked, image or photo to someone else using a phone, tablet or laptop across any app, site, game or on a livestream”. You may have heard of this being referred to as “explicit imagery” or “sending nudes”.

Childline goes on to add that sexting also includes “talking about sexual things you’re doing or want to do”. These messages could be sent to a romantic partner, a friend or someone else online.

What is a leaked image?

A leaked image is where a photo is shared outside the intended recipient, without consent. You may have heard of this in school as a photo being “sent around” or “leaked”.

Stop It Now define a leaked image as “the sending of a sexual image of a child, to another person. It includes distribution through chat rooms, email, phone applications, text messaging, USB sticks and file sharing websites.” This would also include sending the image to other people, without the owner’s consent.

Sexting and Leaked Images - The Law

In the UK, the law states that it is illegal to make, distribute, possess, or show images of someone under the age of 18. It is also illegal to distribute images of someone over 18 without their consent.

This means that it is against the law to:

take nude or semi-nude photos or videos of yourself, or someone else, under the age of 18.
to send or show nude or semi-nude photos or videos of yourself, or someone else, to a peer, with or without consent if you are under 18.

to send or show nude or semi-nude photos or videos of someone else over the age of 18 without their consent.
to own nude or semi-nude photos or videos of yourself or someone else, under the age of 18.

This also means that sending on or being in possession of an explicit image, even if you only have it with the intention to report it, is illegal. However, if you do receive an image, don’t panic! The law is there to protect everyone and you should still report the image. See below for more advice on what to do if you are involved in sexting.

It is important to remember that whilst talking about things of a sexual nature (on or offline) is not illegal, you should take extra care to check who it is you’re talking to, and to remember when this is appropriate. You can find further information on this here.

What to do if you’ve sent an explicit image or know someone who has

If you, or someone you know, has been involving in sexting and are worried about the consequences, there are steps you can take to get the image removed and to get you any help and support you may need.

Talk to a trusted adult

This may feel scary and embarrassing but it’s really important to get some help and discuss your feelings in this situation. You could talk to a family member such as a parent/carer, a teacher or member of staff such as a safeguarding lead at your school or another adult you trust. These people will be able to help you take the steps to getting the image removed and help you to understand your feelings. Here are some ways to start the conversation:

“I want to tell you something that’s making me feel worried”
“Please can I ask your advice on something?”
“This is hard for me to say, but I need to tell you something”
You may also wish to bring it up by talking about something similar, for example “What do you think about the person on Eastenders who sent that photo?”

An adult will chat to you about your situation and will help you to report it. If it is happening in school, the staff member you speak to will likely need to report it to your school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead. This person will then be able to support you better and will know the best way to deal with the situation.

Ask for the message to be deleted

If you, or someone you know, has shared an image, and now feel uncomfortable about it, you can talk to the person you sent it to and ask for them to delete it. It’s likely you know the person, and may be in a relationship with them, so they will care about your feelings too. Explain that you’re not comfortable anymore and you would like them to delete the image. If someone if threatening you, do not send more photos or messages and speak to someone you trust straight away.

Report what has happened

If you are under 18 and the image has been shared online, you can report it and have it taken down. There are many ways you can do this, including:

You can use Childline’s image 'Report Remove’ tool, which can be found here. They will need some information about your age and where the image has been shared and they will work to get it removed. There is a useful video on how to use the tool, linked here.
If the image has been shared on a social media platform, such as Facebook, you can report it. Here is a handy guide of how to report images across a range of social media platforms.
Remember, sharing an explicit photo of someone under 18 is illegal and you can report these incidents to your schools’ Designated Safeguarding Lead or to the Police.

This can be a very distressing situation to go through, and it is important to maintain good mental health and get support when you need it. Try not to blame yourself and remember that the people you choose to talk to about this will not judge you and are there to support you.

What to do if you have leaked an explicit photo of someone else‍

Don’t panic

The first thing to remember is not to panic. Whilst you may have done something harmful, the action has already happened and, by realising your mistake, you are able to take steps to make it better.

Delete it

You must delete the image and ask those you have shared it with to do the same and to remove it from any online platforms you have posted it on.

Apologise

It is important to apologise to the person whose image you have shared. You may have betrayed their trust and embarrassed them. Apologising won’t always repair that trust but it’s a good start.

Report it to a trusted adult

Speak to a trusted adult about what has happened. They will be able to help you to get the image taken down and to help you take steps to deal with the consequences.

What to do if you receive a leaked image of someone else

Don’t let the image go any further

The first step towards resolving this is to stop the image from being spread any further. Do not continue to send it to peers and delete the image from your device. If you see the image on a social media platform, you can report it and ask the person to take it down.

Speak to a trusted adult about what has happened

It is important that you speak to a trusted adult, either at home or at school, about what has happened. This can be scary, but they will be able to help you take the steps to ensure the image isn't spread any further, and they will be able to help you, and the person whose image has been shared, to seek further support. This could also be criminal behaviour too, so it is important to get the support from a trusted adult when reporting this further, like to the police.