A single incident of "revenge porn"? The prevalence of image based sexual abuse in a course of conduct amounting to stalking and consideration of the harms caused

The distribution of private sexual images without the individual’s consent is a pernicious form of sexual abuse. Image based sexual abuse (IBSA), sometimes known as Revenge Porn (RP), refers to images of a sexual nature generally distributed across social networks and the internet with the intent to cause distress. It is a criminal offence under the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 [CJCA] . This article presents findings which indicate the prevalence of IBSA in a conduct amounting to stalking, alongside data which demonstrates the severity of its impact on victims.