Nudity and sex are already normal topics to discuss between couples in this day and age. Some even consider it as a facet of any intimate relationship, so it becomes highly likely that exchanging nude photos happens more and more among modern couples as it has also become a form of expressing love towards one’s significant other. However, in really bad cases, these private photos land in the hands of wrong people. Sometimes, even your own lover can turn into a perpetrator and use the nude photos YOU ENTRUSTED THEM WITH as a weapon to threaten and manipulate you just to satisfy their selfish desire.
If this happens, here are the 4 steps you can do to:
Do not bottle up your emotions, talk with someone trusted if you need to
If the anxiety is too much to handle, you might need someone trusted to talk to–a sibling, a BFF, or perhaps a close family member. Truth be told, something like this is not something that’s easy to share, so only open up to those whom you can truly trust to guide you. Discuss your next steps with them, but remember to be cautious, still.
Get in touch with the authorities
Do not give in to threats, know your rights, and go file a police report. You have to acknowledge that your partner is already a perpetrator and that what he is doing is against the “Anti-Photo and Voyeurism Act” which is punishable by the law.
Keep all the evidence
Gather every imaginable evidence that would be needed to prove that the threat took place. Take all the screenshots and recordings you can get.
Report the account used in the threat
After keeping the evidence, it’s time to report the account on the platform where the threat occurred. The platform would at least be aware of the prohibited activity that your partner did online. Perhaps, it may take down the photos or even restrict the account.
Being in love is a great thing, but crap happens, so we should still always protect ourselves, and know our rights. We have different ways to express love, that’s for sure. But we should know by now that sending nudes is not the ultimate measure of ‘true’ love. Never give in to the manipulative line if you love me, you’d show me (or someone cliché-ic variation thereof) because if they can say that to you, who knows what else they’ll ask from you.
Always remember: love comes with respect. A person who loves you wouldn’t force you to do what’s against your will and will not threaten you with something you have entrusted them with. For the right person, nudes won’t matter. (Bottomline: do not send nudes!)
Don’t send nudes. (Just in case.)
Other POP! stories you might like:
6 signs to help you know if someone is love bombing you
Dating 101: What constitutes as a relationship in the modern era?
