Recently, the digital landscape has been marred by an increasing number of incidents of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) (Henry et al., 2020; Powell & Henry, 2017; Ringrose et al., 2021). IBSA involves non-consensual taking, creating, and/or sharing (including threats to share) of nude or sexual images (i.e., photos or videos) of others, often with the intent to harm, humiliate, or extort the victim. This can include real or manipulated content, such as deepfake pornography, and is often perpetrated by ex-partners, current partners, or others seeking revenge, entertainment, or social status (Hall et al., 2023). While IBSA is not an entirely new phenomenon—commonly referred to as “revenge porn”—the term revenge porn has been criticized for potentially blaming victims and failing to capture the full spectrum of motivations, harms, and actions involved in IBSA (Henry et al., 2020; Maddocks, 2018), which can also be rooted in hypermasculinity and heteronormativity (Henry & Flynn, 2019).
As the world grapples with the increasing occurrence of IBSA and its varied forms, Nigeria is no exception. Although there is limited empirical evidence to fully capture the scope and consequences of this phenomenon in the country, a recent incident reported by the popular online blog Instablog9ja on August 22, 2024, underscores the growing trend of IBSA motivated by revenge, a phenomenon that demands urgent attention.
The Incident: A Chilling Example of Image-Based Sexual Abuse
On 22nd August 2024, Instablog9ja made a post about a young woman in Calabar, who assaulted her female friend for allegedly sleeping with her boyfriend. The assault was captured on video, with the assailant flogging her friend while another girl recorded the entire incident. Following the physical assault, she allegedly stripped her friend naked, recorded her and distributed the nude video to other guys via WhatsApp. Although Instablog9ja only uploaded the flogging portion of the video due to Instagram guidelines restricting the sharing of the entire video, another trending Twitter video posted by “Calabargist” showed the full nude video, which had been viewed more than 23,000 times as of writing. This incident clearly illustrates the rapidity and ease with which such private and harmful content can spread across social media platforms. Notably, this is not an isolated case; a Google search for ‘Calabar girl flogging her friend for sleeping with boyfriend‘ reveals several similar incidents dating back to 2019, involving acts of flogging and stripping that were also recorded on video by people known to the victims.
Perpetrator and Motivations for Image-based Sexual Abuse
The motivations for IBSA vary, ranging from revenge, fun to seeking peer-group status or economic gains (Aborisade, 2022; Henry et al., 2020; McGlynn et al.,2021). In this case, a young woman sought revenge on her friend for sleeping with her boyfriend.
Most studies often indicate that the perpetrators of IBSA are predominantly men; however, this case serves as a stark reminder that women can also commit such acts against one another.
IBSA is inherently gendered and often rooted in societal power imbalances and norms that reinforce control, dominance, and humiliation (McGlynn et al., 2017). Typically, the phenomenon is examined through the lens of male aggression toward women, reflecting broader patterns of gender-based violence. However, when a woman perpetrates IBSA against another woman, it suggests complex ways in which power dynamics and societal expectations operate among women themselves.
Women perpetrators and hegemonic femininity
This incident can be analysed through the concept of hegemonic femininity. While hegemonic masculinity often emphasizes dominance and aggression as central to male identity (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005), hegemonic femininity can be understood as cultural ideals and practices of femininity that are complicit in the reproduction of a matrix of domination (Hamilton et al., 2019). These hegemonic femininities are not merely passive but are actively maintained by women who draw individual benefits from conforming to these ideals through the subordination of others.
Hegemonic femininities works with hegemonic masculinities to preserve a still patriarchal and binary gender order
Paechter, C. (2018). Rethinking the possibilities for hegemonic femininity: Exploring a Gramscian framework
The act of the young woman inflicting abuse on another through flogging as well as taking and distributing the victim’s nude can be viewed as a means of asserting power, control, and social dominance. The use of sexual humiliation—stripping the victim naked and recording her—highlights a power imbalance, even among women, where one seeks to assert dominance over the other by leveraging the victim’s body and sexual shame as tools of control. Also, the desire for social capital could drive women to act in ways that perpetuate harm to other women, even when those actions are abusive. The perpetrator may believe that, by shaming and punishing another woman for perceived sexual transgressions and betrayal, she gains respect or approval from the so-called boyfriend and her peers, thereby increasing her social standing.
The Role of Bystanders and Societal Attitudes
Furthermore, this incident highlights the significant impact that societal attitudes and the actions of bystanders can have on either contributing to or preventing the perpetuation of such abuse. Bystanders—those who witness or are aware of criminal behaviours or social rule violations (Mainwaring et al., 2023)—play a crucial role in either reinforcing or challenging harmful norms. In this case, the other girl who recorded the ordeal was in a position to intervene and stop the abuse or report it, instead she joined in perpetrating and documenting the act. Her motivations as a bystander could be varied but were likely influenced by a sense of loyalty to her friend or group dynamics.
The role of bystanders also extends to the online media platforms that further distributed the video to their large audiences. This raises important questions about the ethical responsibility of media outlets in such situations. It highlights the complexity of whether media should amplify posts to garner public attention for immediate action or if their motives are primarily driven by the desire to increase traffic and, consequently, economic gain.
Also, the public who viewed and interacted with the video—over 23,000 views and more than 7,000 comments on the Instablog9ja post at the time of writing—are also bystanders in this context. They have a moral, if not legal, obligation to report such abuses when witnessed and to support victims by refraining from engaging in the further spread of harmful content. However, a troubling pattern emerges in the public reaction; many comments focused on the appearance of the boyfriend involved, rather than condemning the act of violence or reporting it. This reflects a disturbing disregard for the severity of image-based sexual abuse and highlights the urgent need for greater public awareness and education on this critical issue.
The Need for Legal and Institutional Reforms
36 hours later after the post was first made on Instablog9ja, the video was still widely available online with just a quick search. This demonstrates a gap in legal frameworks to swiftly address the issue of IBSA. Nigeria currently lacks a dedicated agency to swiftly remove such videos from circulation, a gap that other countries such as Australia have already filled. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety that educate Australians about online safety risks and help to remove harmful content such as cyberbullying of children, adult cyber abuse and intimate images or videos shared without consent. Nigeria could benefit greatly from implementing a similar system, with authority to take down harmful content and penalize perpetrators. The need for a comprehensive framework remains urgent, as the consequences of IBSA are sometimes life-ending, often devastating, relentless and isolating (Rackley et al., 2021).
Conclusion
The alarming rise in image-based sexual abuse in Nigeria, as evidenced by the recent incident in Calabar, is a matter of great concern and serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by young people in the digital age. This highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to tackle this growing threat. Recognizing the gendered dynamics of IBSA, including the dual roles of women and girls as both perpetrators and victims, is essential for devising effective interventions. Bystanders interventions and robust legal frameworks are all indispensable components in combating IBSA. The imperative to act is now—before more lives are irredeemably damaged by the pernicious problem of image-based sexual abuse.
Author
Taibat Hussain is a commonwealth-funded doctoral researcher at the University of East Anglia. Her research examines the ways in which young people use digital technology and their experiences of and vulnerabilities to sexual violence. Taibat serves as the co-chair of the UNESCO SDG4 Youth & Student Network’s Healthy and Safe Space, Schools & Self working group. She tweets @aduragbataibat.
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