“That Experience Still Haunts Me to This Day”: A Multi-Country Survey of AI-Image based Sexual Abuse Victimization

Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) involves the nonconsensual creation, distribution, or threatened distribution of intimate images. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have enabled new forms of IBSA, yet empirical evidence on AI-generated IBSA (AI-IBSA) remains limited. This study addresses this gap through a cross-national survey conducted in July-August 2024 examining the prevalence, nature, and impacts of AI-IBSA across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (n = 7,230). Overall, 15.1% of respondents reported experiences of IBSA involving digitally altered images, including 7.0% who reported AI-IBSA victimization specifically. Victimization was higher among respondents under 35, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC participants, people with disabilities, and men. Despite higher victimization rates among men, women reported a broader range of harms and greater negative emotional and social impacts. Common responses included platform blocking (69.2%) and platform reporting (56.8%). These findings highlight AI-IBSA as an under-recognized harm requiring strengthened prevention interventions, platform governance, and victim-survivor support.