Sexual Violence in the Digital Era: Exploring Correlates of Non-Consensual Intimate Image Dissemination from a Sexual Offending Framework

Abstract

Identifying risk factors associated with non-consensual intimate image dissemination (NCIID) perpetration is an important step in the development of effective intervention programming with the goal of reducing this behavior. Using the motivation–facilitation model of sexual offending as a framework, the current study explored the extent to which theoretically relevant correlates of sexual offending contributed to the perpetration of NCIID. A sample of 1200 adults residing in Canada recruited from a Qualtrics panel reported their prior engagement in NCIID and completed a battery of questionnaires encompassing sexual motivators (e.g., paraphilias, hypersexuality) and facilitators (e.g., antagonistic personality traits, misogynistic attitudes toward sex and women, and alcohol use). The findings highlight NCIID as a relevant problem with 1 in 20 respondents reporting sharing or forwarding an intimate image without permission in the previous 12 months. When controlling for other risk factors, beliefs of sexual entitlement, hypersexuality, the antisocial facet of psychopathy, hostility toward women, and problematic alcohol use were associated with greater odds of self-reported NCIID perpetration. Overall, findings suggested an overlap between risk factors associated with in-person sexual offending and NCIID. Existing sexual offending interventions may therefore be applicable to the prevention and management of NCIID.