Working Across the Intimate Image Abuse Ecosystem
摘要
This chapter reframes Intimate Image Abuse (IIA) as a systemic issue embedded in a complex, interdependent ecosystem of relationships, institutions, and cultural norms. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and extensive case data from the UK’s Revenge Porn Helpline, the chapter illustrates how victims’ experiences are shaped not only by perpetrators but also by responses—or failures—at every level of society, including family, law enforcement, workplaces, education, and digital platforms. It exposes how disjointed support systems, poor legal enforcement, underdeveloped public education, and platform inaction exacerbate trauma, while coordinated, victim-centred interventions offer glimpses of what effective response could look like. The analysis further reveals widespread victim-blaming and public misunderstanding about legal protections, especially among young people, due to education systems that focus on risk rather than consent and empowerment. Ultimately, the chapter argues for a whole-systems approach to tackling IIA, calling for cross-sector collaboration, improved education, and institutional accountability to ensure that victims are supported, believed, and protected.