When Someone Shares Your Nudes: A Guide for Teens
When Someone Shares Your Nudes: A Guide for Teens
This Isn’t Your Fault
First things first: if someone shared your intimate photos without asking, you are not at fault. It doesn’t matter if you took the pics or sent them to someone you trusted or what happened. The person who shared them without your okay is the one who did something wrong—and in many places, that’s actually against the law.
What You’re Dealing With
When someone puts your private images online without permission, it’s called “nonconsensual intimate image distribution” or sometimes “revenge porn.” It’s a form of sexual harassment and abuse. The really hard part is that it breaks your trust and invades your privacy in a very public way.
You might be feeling:
- Embarrassed or ashamed
- Angry or betrayed
- Scared about who will see the images
- Anxious about what happens next
- Like you want to disappear
All these feelings are totally valid. This is really tough, and it’s okay if you’re not feeling great right now.
Immediate Steps to Take
Don’t freak out, but move fast:
- Document everything – Take screenshots of the posts that show your images, including the URLs, usernames, and dates. Don’t delete anything yet—you’ll need this as proof.
- Tell a trusted adult right away – I know this is scary, but you need support. It could be a parent, your school counselor, older sibling, or another adult you trust. They can help you figure out what to do next.
- Use Take It Down – Check out the free service from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at takeitdown.ncmec.org. This service helps get intimate images of minors off social media. You create a unique digital fingerprint of your image, and they work directly with platforms to get it removed. You don’t have to upload the actual image—just follow the safe process.
- Report it to the platform – Most social media sites like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter have specific tools for reporting nonconsensual images. Report that stuff immediately.
- Don’t try to handle this solo – Resist the urge to confront the person who shared your images or try to “fix it” on your own. This is something you need adult support for and maybe even legal help.
Know Your Rights
In most U.S. states and a lot of countries, sharing someone’s intimate images without their okay is illegal. If you’re under 18, it’s even more serious since it can involve child sexual abuse materials.
Don’t worry about getting in trouble for reporting this. The focus is on the person who spread the images, not you for taking them.
Getting the Images Removed
Besides Take It Down, you can also:
- Reach out to the support team of the website or platform directly.
- Get help from a trusted adult to file DMCA (copyright) takedown requests.
- In serious situations, law enforcement can ask platforms for immediate removal.
Should You Involve the Police?
This is a personal choice you’ll want to make with a trusted adult. Think about reporting to the police if:
- The person keeps harassing or threatening you.
- The images are spreading far and wide.
- You want to press charges.
- The person is an adult and you’re a minor.
Protecting Your Mental Health
This can be a really rough experience. Consider:
- Talking to a school counselor or therapist.
- Reaching out to crisis support lines if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
- Taking a break from social media while this gets sorted out.
- Leaning on supportive friends and family.
Moving Forward
Healing takes time. The images might be taken down quickly, or it may take longer than you wish. But remember:
- This doesn’t define who you are.
- People who care will support you.
- You absolutely have the right to privacy and respect.
- What happened to you was wrong, and there is help out there.
Resources
- Take It Down: takeitdown.ncmec.org
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- RAINN: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
- Cyber Civil Rights Initiative: cybercivilrights.org
You deserve to feel safe. Reach out for help—you’re not alone in this.
