A non-governmental organisation (NGO), TechSocietal on Tuesday urged parents to support rather than punish children threatened by the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.

Legal and Policy Programme Officer at TechSocietal, Jessica Eni, said this at an awareness  programme organised by the NGO at a church engagement in Lagos under the “Know It. Prevent It. Report It.” initiative.

Through the initiative, TechSocietal and its collaborators seek to improve understanding of Image-Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA) and online child sexual exploitation and abuse while promoting safer responses and responsible reporting.

She said a child threatened with the circulation of nude images needed protection and support, not punishment.

Ms Eni said parents’ reactions to IBSA could discourage children from reporting abuse or seeking help, especially when they feared being blamed or punished.

According to her, sharing intimate images without consent can further perpetuate abuse, even when the person circulating the material is not the one who created it.

Ms Eni educated parents and children on different forms of online sexual abuse, including cyberflashing and online sexual harassment.

She also said that children could recognise harmful online behaviour without knowing how to describe it.

Ms Eni addressed misconceptions around IBSA, saying that consenting to share an intimate image privately did not mean consenting to its wider distribution.

On reporting, Ms Eni urged victims to seek confidential support and guidance through appropriate channels instead of  remaining silent out of fear of public exposure.

She urged participants not to create, request, threaten to share, or circulate intimate images without consent.

According to her, using artificial intelligence to create sexualised images of real people without their consent should not be dismissed as a joke or mere entertainment.

Ms Eni, however, encouraged participants to help prevent further harm by refusing to share abusive content and reporting it without exposing survivors to additional humiliation.

During the session, a child recounted how a classmate regularly turned other pupils’ photographs into mocking memes and stickers.

According to Ms Eni, this shows how digital tools can be used to ridicule and humiliate others.

The engagement was supported by the African Women Lawyers Association of Nigeria (AWLA Nigeria), an official partner of the campaign. 

(NAN)