THE BEHAVIOUR
The sweet adrenaline. The excitement from being first. They need to share, to dissect and critically assess positions, depth, girth and other analytics such as those seen in the NBA often accompany them.
THE PSYCHOLOGY
So what am I talking about? The brain chemistry that takes root in Saint Lucia everytime a nude picture or suggestive video is leaked and the need to share it to everyone on their Whatsapp or Facebook contact list without a pause for thought, before someone else is first. Revenge porn is the sharing or distribution of private sexually explicit images or videos without the consent of the individuals. The primary reason is initially to blackmail, extort or intimidate the persons caught in the act by the electronic device.
THE SOCIAL IMPACT
Revenge porn is often like rape by proxy. You are wielding another weapon against someone powerless to retaliate against you. Brutalizing them just as if you were the first offender. Imagine a fellow citizen being assaulted by a gang, mixed gender, would you pick a chair, a belt and assist in traumatizing them. So why is it that a phone is an excuse? The desensitization of human beings to the harm that technology does is a rather intriguing phenomenon to be studied.
The shared dopamine hit, the need to be first drives our macabre desire to see a car crash made out of other people’s lives. The knowledge that island gossip is finely wired on a speed akin to 5G, in mere seconds friends in Canada and the UK are apprised to the salacious news. Long before persons in the same household have even a sniff of something wrong. And then the algorithm continues to push and push until all you see are the private pictures and videos of victims or every other status snickers and whispers.
THE GENDER DYNAMICS
The ultimate affected persons are the victims whose personal lives have been blown apart. And yes despite moral attitudes, and cries of keeping it in the bedroom, they are actual victims of a society ‘’hellbent” on destroying them. These victims are often engaged in a shame spiral. Many lose their jobs due to the shame associated with being the face of the salacious event business often feel tarnished by being associated with them. The victims are often guilt laden and experience thoughts of suicidal ideation and we are aware how deplorable the state of and attitudes towards mental health are on island.
Men and women react and are impacted differently. For men it is often a badge of honor especially if he is deemed to be fit and representative of what society perceives to be a macho masculine man. However, men who have been exposed as part of the down low culture or having sex with men are often targets of further shame and homophobia and met with a seething hatred for betraying masculinity as the latest case has found out.
But no woman no matter how many “body tea” or “4+4=ate” they get while clothed or semi clothed in the media the disgust and stigma that follow resemble none of this body positivity that first proclaimed them. Now they despair at how naive the woman was for trusting her spouse. And many thus wonder why their female peers chose the bear. A special denunciation is available for women who are in public facing jobs like teachers who find themselves violated in such a manner.
THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
Despite it not being a legislated criminal act there are laws such as the Misuse of Computer Acts and Cybercrime bills in Barbados and Jamaica which govern the horrific nature of the acts and thus victims need to be emboldened and deal with those who constantly abuse and assault them. And the reality is that persons in areas we consider professionals are often the primary instigators (lawyers, doctors, teachers, civil servants) who relish the opportunity to expose the dark secrets of others.
CALL TO IMPACT
There is a great need for us as a society to move beyond our basest need, to dismantle the traditional ideas we hold that demand people be punished for perceived transgressions. We need literacy and education campaigns as to why revenge porn is dangerous, especially when sharing pictures of persons who may be minors or impaired during the action. The cure may just be hefty fines for the many who often feel they are just engaging in a societal contract rather than entering an assault on an innocent victim.