Understanding Help-Seeking and Help-Giving on Social Media for Image-Based Sexual Abuse

Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), like other forms of technology-facilitated abuse, is a growing threat to peoples' digital safety. Attacks include unwanted solicitations for sexually explicit images, extorting people under threat of leaking their images, or purposefully leaking images to enact revenge or exert control. In this paper, we explore how people experiencing IBSA seek and receive help from social media. Specifically, we identify over 100,000 Reddit posts that engage relationship and advice communities for help related to IBSA. We draw on a stratified sample of these posts to qualitatively examine how various types of IBSA unfold, the support needs of victim-survivors experiencing IBSA, and how communities help victim-survivors navigate their abuse through technical, emotional, and relationship advice. In the process, we highlight how gender, relationship dynamics, and the threat landscape influence the design space of sociotechnical solutions. We also highlight gaps that remain to connecting victim-survivors with important care---regardless of whom they turn to for help.