Illegal to share nude pictures

There are many reasons why a young person may want to send nude or partly-naked photographs or videos of themselves.

It might be about being accepted, getting noticed or even a way of flirting. Or it could be because they are being pressurised into doing so by someone else.

Whatever the reason, it is important that everyone is aware it is illegal for anyone to share a naked or semi-naked image of a person under the age of 18. It is often known as Sexting and includes sending sexually explicit messages.

Last month an NSPCC survey of 40,000 young people revealed an average of one in 50 schoolchildren had sent a nude or semi-nude image to an adult.

Once a photograph or video has been sent, the sender no longer has any control over what happens to it.

Even if the image is shared via webcam or the App Snapchat, the person can take a screenshot in seconds.

It can be shared with others or posted online, or someone can store it and use it to later blackmail or bully the person.

A 16-year-old girl told one of our Childline counsellors: “I sent a nude photo of myself to an older man. He is now threatening me and calling me names. He has told me he is going to tell everyone what I’m really like. I’m really scared about my family finding out. I’m so stressed. What should I do?”

If young people lose control of an explicit image of themselves online, it can make them feel ashamed, guilty, embarrassed and anxious. There are ways of helping the situation. The best thing for the child or young person to do is speak to an adult they trust or call Childline, which is confidential and where our counsellors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also have a partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and young people can contact the organisation anonymously through our website to get abusive images removed from the internet.

Any young person who is sent an explicit image should think about how they would feel if the picture was of them, and then delete it without sharing it with anyone.

Children and young people with any worries can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org. uk, while adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC’s free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 5000.