This violence online has increasingly seen young people harmed as a result of sharing abusive or harmful images of each other, whether real or AI-generated ‘deep fakes.’
‘Your image belongs to you’: Young people, social media and image autonomy explores how children and young people understand the concept of image autonomy, and how social media and online content are shaping their attitudes to consent and respect.
‘Image autonomy’ can be understood as an extension of bodily autonomy, in that it gives young people the ability to make informed choices about who they trust to have their photos and videos, and what to do if someone’s access to or use of their image makes them feel vulnerable or causes harm. Increasing this understanding amongst adults and young people alike is critical to preventing of gendered violence.
Your image belongs to you presents findings from an exploratory study with respectful relationships educators in Victoria with expertise in talking to children and young people about online safety. It describes the contradictions today’s children experience, between normalised sharing of their photos and videos on social media against the increasing discussion of online risk as they navigate apps, gaming platforms and online communities.
The study found that the adults in children’s lives play a vital role in modelling how to prevent technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviours.
Deanne Carson, CEO of Body Safety Australia:
When children and the adults around them understand that their image is theirs to control, they’re better equipped to challenge harmful gender norms and speak up when boundaries are crossed. This helps prevent the kinds of behaviours that can escalate into image-based abuse or gendered violence later in life.
The research also highlights how social media algorithms and gendered online content influence young people’s beliefs and behaviours.
Dr Stephanie Lusby, Research Manager at Respect Victoria:
Recommender algorithms are feeding children highly gendered content from a young age, including the pressure - particularly on young girls - to share intimate images, along with harmful ideas that men and boys can demand and misuse those images. All of these ideas help to drive gendered violence.
The findings suggest that thinking differently about image autonomy and how adults model it for children and young people could be an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to preventing gendered violence.