Intimate photos, videos and audio spread without consent, online or in chats, an increasingly frequent form of digital violence, especially among young people: to help those who are victims, Chayn Italia - a feminist platform that combats gender violence - has published a guide with practical tools to protect yourself.
Some suggestions are indicated in the handbook: how to behave in the context of
sexting
(the exchange of intimate images or audio);
who to contact if you are the victim of publications or exchanges of material with third parties without having given your consent;
the possibilities to request the removal of contents on different social networks, sites or messaging channels;
the criminal consequences of those who commit Non-Consensual Dissemination of Intimate Images (DNCII), which has been a crime since 2019.
The general and always valid advice is also to keep proof of the contents through photos of posts and messages (
screenshots
).
The project is dedicated to all the victims of this violence and in particular to
Tiziana Cantone
, the 31-year-old woman found lifeless on 13 September 2016, in her mother's home in Mugnano (Naples), after private videos had been released online .
Tiziana Cantone in a photo from Facebook
When it comes to Non-Consensual Dissemination of Intimate Images
Also at the basis of this form of violence is the lack of respect for consent.
Non-Consensual Dissemination of Intimate Images (DNCII) is a form of digital gender violence and since 2019 the Italian penal code recognizes this violence as a crime.
When are you faced with a form of DNCII?
For example, Chayn explains, "if the partner or ex-sexual and/or romantic partner has shared content - exchanged before, during or after the relationship - on sites dedicated to pornographic videos or sent on WhatsApp chats, Telegram, Facebook groups and etc".
For further information Agenzia ANSA Women's bodies, violence and patriarchy - Magazine - ANSA.it Feminicides are not decreasing, on the contrary young males are increasingly brutal in their violence.
We need a cultural revolution, but to implement it it is necessary to invest in systemic training and a different role for women in society (ANSA)
Why it's best not to use the term "revenge porn"
The Chayn Italia collective prefers not to use the term "
revenge porn
", a definition often used for the DNCII.
There are two main reasons.
First, Chayn states, "associating revenge with the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images leads one to think that violence is committed in response to an offense that makes a reaction legitimate. This passage is very similar to "he had it coming." " and removes responsibility from those who spread the images, blaming the person portrayed; while clearly the only responsible person is those who, without explicit consent, spread intimate images that are not their own. Everyone - specifies the collective - can send images of their own body but whoever receives them is not entitled to circulate them or send them to third parties, without explicit permission from the person represented".
Secondly, the term "porn" is also incorrect to describe the DNCII "as it automatically confuses and superimposes a nude image with porn. Porn is a form of sex work, a form of work in which images and/or videos are disseminated with the consent of the person depicted, who in some cases receives remuneration. Considering the DNCII as pornography means not recognizing violence", explains Chayn.
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