You love a boy and he loves you too. The birds are chirping, you are whistling, having butterflies, and feel like the luckiest girl in the world. However, as most relationships, things ultimately do not work out and a breakup is inevitable. In the best of circumstances, you can hope to be amicable, cry a little, start having a relationship with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, and let time heal all wounds. This simple routine of a breakup is all but a distant memory with the worries that may now accompany a breakup. It used to be that a scorned lover would spread rumors to their buddies after the failed relationship; however, a more permanent and exposed form of revenge has emerged.
With the 21st century came many forms of communication and access to the World Wide Web. Along with the evolution of the Internet also has the evolution of jilted exes’ vengeance. What used to be locker room rumors has become an exploitation of what was entrusted to once an intimate partner. This exploitation of past lovers has become known as revenge porn or nonconsensual pornography.[1]
Women are revenge porn’s predominate victims. These women have had to suffer psychologically and emotionally as a result of their content exposure.[2] This abuse of trust and the unauthorized circulation of this intimate material have led to legal action in a number of states. There are twenty-six states now that have some sort of revenge porn statute, such statutes making it a felony or a misdemeanor, depending on the jurisdiction.[3] For example, North Dakota’s penalty is a Class A misdemeanor[4] while in the District of Columbia it is a felony under the Criminalization of Non-consensual pornography Act of 2014.[5]
[1] Collins Dictionary, Revenge Porn, (“a pornographic image or film which is published, posted (e.g. on the internet), or otherwise circulated without the consent of one or more of the participants, usually with malicious and vindictive intent, such as following a break-up.”)
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/revenge-porn (last visited Nov. 30, 2015).
[2] Mary Anne Franks, Drafting An Effective “Revenge Porn” Law: A Guide for Legislators (2015), http://www.endrevengeporn.org/guide-to-legislation/ (referencing statistics that 90% of revenge porn victims are women, 59% had their full names posted, 57% percent said an ex-boyfriend posted the photo,
42% said that they sought psychological services because of it, among other statistics)
[3] End Revenge Porn, 26 States Have Revenge Porn Laws, http://www.endrevengeporn.org/revenge-porn-laws/ (last visited Feb. 18, 2016).
[4] N.D. CENT. CODE § 12.1-17-07.02 (2015)
[5] D.C. LAW 20-275
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