close Exit Site If you are in crisis, please contact the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline via phone (1-800-799-SAFE), chat (TheHotline.org), or text (START to 88788), or contact 911 if it is safe to do so. Click EXIT SITE to leave this website immediately. If your device is monitored, consider clearing your browser history after visiting this website.
Donate Now Exit Site
woman walking in the street
Action Alert

When funding is delayed, programs are left without the resources needed to operate — put [Read More]

Take Action

WomensLaw Educating Survivors on Laws Relevant to the Threat of “Revenge Porn”

June 9, 2015

The threat of “revenge porn,” or the posting of intimate material (photos, video, etc.) without the consent of the person portrayed, is an increasingly common worry for victims and survivors of domestic violence.

“Revenge porn” is a misnomer. This kind of abusive behavior is about power and control, not revenge (which implies that a victim has done something “wrong” that merits “revenge”). However, we recognize that many people still use this phrase when they’re searching for information and resources.

To help address the issue of posting intimate images and videos without consent, WomensLaw – a signature project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) – is augmenting the information available on WomensLaw.org on this topic by:

For example, in Maryland, there is a crime prohibiting revenge porn, which is now included in the Maryland Statutes page and Crime page.

WomensLaw has also added information to Pennsylvania’s Suing Your Abuser page about a victim’s right to sue someone who disseminates intimate images without consent.

The New York Statutes page has also been updated with criminal laws regarding unlawful surveillance and the dissemination of surveillance images.

Visit WomensLaw.org to learn more about the civil and criminal remedies available to victims of revenge porn in your state or territory. If you have additional questions, ask WomensLaw through the secure, confidential, and free WomensLaw Email Hotline.