Research reveals disturbing reason why men send unsolicited genital photos – as half of British women say they’ve received one

Experts studying the sexual harassment of women online have revealed some of the disturbing reasons why men send unsolicited photos of their genitals.

The advent of mobile cameras and dating apps, commonly known as ‘d*** pics’ or ‘cyberflashing’, means that around half of women have received one of these arousing images.

Research shows that in the vast majority of cases the woman did not ask for the photo.

Now a report from the Nordic Digital Rights and Equality Foundation (Nordef) has uncovered some of the reasons for this, as well as characteristics in men that make them more likely to do this.

Nordef chairman Thordis Elva said a key factor was that a number of men, mainly younger groups, are now “porn damaged” as their view of what is acceptable has been distorted by explicit material online.

‘Men have different reasons for behaving this way, but we’ve seen a shift in norms on the internet.

‘We have a lot of porn and porn-damaged men and boys have a distorted view of how to communicate their sexuality.

In pornography, the sight of men’s genitals is presented as welcoming to women, leading to the assumption that the same will happen in real life.

Ms Elva’s report also details other reasons for cyberflashing – including in the ‘selfish’ hope of getting a nude photo back and asking for compliments.

The advent of mobile cameras and public social media profiles, commonly known as ‘d***pics’ or ‘cyberflashing’, has given men an easy way to send explicit images to women for their own perverse pleasure. Stock image

Nordef reached their conclusions by analyzing police and court data on cyberflashing incidents in Sweden, Denmark and Iceland between 2019 and 2022.

Ms. Elva said data shows that many cyberflashers sent explicit images to as many as 30 women at a time, hoping that at least one would provide the response they craved in what she called a “dehumanization” of women as a tool for sexual gratification.

“It will be like a mass mailing where they don’t care how they are received,” she said.

‘The men don’t think about the psychological impact it has on the women they receive.

“They just selfishly think that someone will send a photo back and that it will be sexy.”

Data also showed that many cyberflashers sent images to a friend as a ‘test’ to see if they could become romantic or sexual partners.

The survey also found that six percent of men sent such images with the aim of punishing women or asserting their masculinity under the bizarre logic they were making against feminism.

from Nordef report also revealed information about the type of men who cyber flash.

Earlier this year, Nicholas Hawkes became the first person in England and Wales to be jailed under the new law after sending an explicit image of himself to a 15-year-old girl and another woman, and was sentenced to more than a year in prison .

Most, eight in ten, were men – the majority were under 40 years old.

About 52 percent of images sent to women were from strangers, followed by people they matched with on dating apps at 17 percent and acquaintances at 15 percent.

About seven percent were sent as part of harassment by a colleague.

Nordef hopes their findings will encourage preventative measures to prevent men from committing digital abuse against women.

Cyberflashing became a criminal offense in England and Wales earlier this year, with those found guilty facing up to two years in prison.

It stemmed from 2021 research showing that 32 percent of girls aged 12 to 18 had received an unsolicited nude photo of men or boys.

The legislation followed that of Scotland, which made cyber flashing a specific offense a decade earlier, and that of Northern Ireland late last year.

Earlier this year, Nicholas Hawkes became the first person in England and Wales to be jailed under the new law after sending an explicit image of himself to a 15-year-old girl and another woman.

Hawkes was sentenced to over a year in prison.