Criminalizing Intimate Image Abuse

Abstract

Abstract In contemporary societies the abuse of intimate or sexual imagery has become one of the most relevant concerns. It is not surprising that criminal law has been invoked as one of the solutions to the problem: the harm experienced by victims of intimate image violence is particularly serious and involves diverse legal interests. Nevertheless, the criminal law role and limits in responding to intimate image abuse are still unclear. Criminalizing intimate image abuse raises multiple legal issues and presents a challenge for traditional institutions of law and justice. The nature of this phenomenon requires coping with all the traditional complexities of regulating privacy, sexual offences, and cybercrimes. The chapter introduces the foundations of the criminalization of intimate image abuse, its problems, and limits. At the same time, the chapter outlines the structure of the volume and some of the cross-cutting issues which emerge throughout the collection.