The first statistics for revenge porn levels following the change of law in April 2015 have been released. The change in law made it an offence for somebody to share private sexual photographs or films without the subject’s consent.

More than 1,000 alleged victims of revenge porn have come forward following this change. Within these figures, children as young as 11 years old reported being a victim of revenge porn. Of the 1,160 reported incidents, 3 victims were 11 years old, while 30% of all offences involved those under the age of 19.

Revenge porn refers to the act of a partner or ex-partner purposefully distributing images or videos of a sexual nature without the other person’s consent.

68% of cases which used social media involved the use of Facebook; Instagram followed with 12% of cases using it to distribute the images or videos; Snapchat was used in 5% of cases.

More information on these statistics can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36054273

The Revenge Porn Helpline website is full of useful information for victims of revenge porn. They explain what the law is in relation to revenge porn, what can be done to limit its effects,  along with links to various resources and support agencies.

The Respect Yourself website has advice for parents and children aged 13 and over about relationships and sex. Contained within this is a specific section with information regarding online relationships.

Warwickshire and West Mercia Police’s #BeCyberSmart campaign also offers sections of advice about sexting.

Get Safe Online is the UK’s leading source of factual and easy-to-understand information regarding online safety. Their website offers advice on how you can protect yourself, your computers and devices, and your business against the likes of fraud, identity theft, viruses and other potential online problems.