Image-based Sexual Abuse and Bystander Intervention: A Mixed Methods Study of Attitudes, Barriers and Facilitators

The Pivot explores bystander intervention and image-based sexual abuse. It fills a critical gap in the market on a significant and contemporary legal, social, public health, and criminal justice issue. It is timely in light of a number of recent high-profile instances of image-based sexual abuse perpetration, including those involving the non-consensual digital altering and sharing of sexual imagery – sexualised “deepfakes” created with AI, digital tools or software – of celebrities (e.g. Taylor Swift) and young women. This book draws upon the first mixed methods study of its kind globally and makes a substantial contribution to the conceptualisation of image-based sexual abuse and bystander intervention; an issue that has not yet been explored in detail. Drawing on criminology, gender studies, psychology, and law, it provides new theoretical and practical insights of particular relevance to practitioners, stakeholders, and government and non-government organisations on how bystander intervention can be an untapped prevention resource.

Asher Flynn is Professor of Criminology at Monash University, Australia, and Chief Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. She is an internationally recognised and award-winning researcher in policy and prevention concerning gendered, sexual and technology-facilitated violence.

Elena Cama is Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Research Health at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Her research focuses on experiences, impacts, and responses to marginalisation, discrimination, and violence.

Adrian J. Scott is Reader (Associate Professor) in Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK. He is an expert on the psychology of sexual aggression, stalking and image-based sexual abuse.