Addressing the Impact of Image-Based Sexual Abuse: A Path to Healing and Prevention

January 16, 2025
| Larry Sandigo, Chief of Staff, Administration for Children and Families and Katherine Chon, Director, Office on Trafficking in Persons
Preventing Image-Based Sexual Abuse Graphic

En Español 

In today’s digital world, image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) is a growing and pervasive issue that impacts individuals, families, and communities across the globe. IBSA can take many forms, from someone sharing intimate images or videos without consent, to online predators coercing minors into producing explicit content, to perpetrators using deepfake technology to create sexualized images of unsuspecting individuals. Facilitated by the rapid advancement of technology, IBSA thrives on evolving digital platforms. As these platforms grow, so too does the reach of this harmful behavior, disproportionately affecting children, women, and people on the margins.

In December 2024, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), alongside partners at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice, hosted a two-day listening session aimed at better understanding the impact of IBSA on health and well-being, and to help inform future policies, programs, and practices. This session, which included more than 75 survivors, allied professionals, and advocates, offered critical insights into the far-reaching impacts of IBSA on health and well-being.

The Scope of the Problem: A Global Challenge

The listening session follows ACF’s participation in the First Global Ministerial Conference on ending Violence Against Children, where the U.S. delegation’s pledge  (PDF) included addressing online harms by engaging in prevention, providing survivor support and accountability, and conducting research. The listening session highlighted the global rise of IBSA, driven by digital platforms that provide abusers with tools to distribute explicit content. Social media, messaging apps, and gaming platforms are frequently used by exploiters to target individuals—particularly children—and coerce them into sharing explicit images. Additionally, the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create deepfake images has intensified the issue, making it even more difficult for individuals to control their digital identities.

Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children highlight the growing prevalence of technology-facilitated abuse. In 2020 alone, the CyberTipline saw a staggering 97.5% increase in online enticement reports , with exploiters targeting children through online platforms like social media, gaming apps, and messaging services. Adults are not immune either: a 2022 survey  (PDF) by the National Domestic Violence Hotline revealed that 27% of respondents reported being threatened with non-consensual intimate image sharing, and 17% had experienced it. As these numbers continue to rise, addressing IBSA demands urgent and comprehensive action.

The Far-Reaching Impact on Health and Well-being

The mental and psychological toll of IBSA can be devastating. Individuals who experience IBSA often face severe emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The public nature of these abuses only exacerbates these struggles. Survivors often experience social isolation, humiliation, and in some cases, self-harm or suicidal ideation.

The impact of IBSA ripples outward to families and communities, where survivors may face stigmatization and rejection. This can create a cycle of trauma that is difficult to break without adequate support and care systems.

In the listening session, individuals with lived experience and allied professionals alike emphasized to ACF the need for a comprehensive, person-centered approach to healing. Individuals who experience IBSA need immediate safety and long-term mental health support that acknowledges the unique and complex nature of digital exploitation.

A Public Health Approach to Prevention and Education

To comprehensively combat IBSA, including a public health approach is necessary. This approach broadens the scope of involvement beyond the traditional criminal justice response and expands and diversifies the individuals and organizations involved. A public health approach includes raising awareness, promoting digital literacy, and providing education on healthy relationships. During the listening session, participants stressed the importance of community engagement and the role of educational programs in equipping individuals—particularly children and young adults—with the knowledge and skills to recognize and protect themselves from digital threats.

ACF is already taking significant steps in this direction. Through funding programs that focus on human trafficking and technology-facilitated abuse, ACF is helping schools and local agencies build capacity to prevent and respond to these issues. For instance, ACF’s Office on Trafficking in Persons recently awarded $1.9 million to expand prevention programs across school systems.

Additionally, partnerships with organizations like the National Domestic Violence Hotline are bolstering support for victims of technology-facilitated abuse. These collaborations are enhancing the ability of victim advocates to assist survivors, offering critical resources for safety planning, counseling, and recovery.

ACF also established a Chief AI Officer and a cross-agency working group on AI, committed to supporting human services administrators and community organizations in the safe and responsible use of AI. ACF engages in inter-agency collaborations to monitor the use and misuse of AI and discussions on safety by design practices. 

Moving Forward: Strengthening Collaborative Efforts

The listening session reaffirmed the need for a unified response to IBSA, one that includes federal agencies, local communities, health and behavioral health care providers, law enforcement, and, critically, individuals with lived experience. This was particularly evident as international participants, including from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Ecuador, and South Korea, shared insights about the global nature of the problem, highlighting common challenges and the need for cross-border collaboration.

The listening session came at an important point in global action, just a couple of weeks before the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention against Cybercrime , a landmark global treaty aimed at strengthening international cooperation to combat cybercrime and protecting societies from digital threats. 

In December, HHS also published its Global Strategy , which includes efforts to coordinate with international partners to address gender-based violence and online harms and abuses. 

In the coming days, ACF will release a full report based on the listening session, using the feedback to refine ongoing efforts to address IBSA. This will include aligning national strategies on human trafficking, gender-based violence, and online harassment. The feedback from participants will continue to shape policies and programs aimed at both preventing and responding to digital exploitation.

A Commitment to Action

As we move forward, ACF remains committed to addressing the complexities of IBSA and its far-reaching impact. We will continue to collaborate with federal agencies, local communities, health and behavioral health providers, law enforcement, and international partners to strengthen our response.

We extend our sincere gratitude to all those who participated in the listening session, particularly the survivors who shared their stories and insights. Their voices are invaluable as we work toward a more compassionate and effective system for addressing IBSA. By continuing to build awareness, improve prevention efforts, and provide healing support, we can create safer digital spaces and support those affected by this pervasive issue.

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