Minors and young adults as perpetrators of sexual abuse through images: A systematic mapping of the literature.

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Published: Feb 16, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/sp.44573
Keywords:
Image-based sexual abuse (I.B.S.A.) non-consensual distribution of intimate images risk factors perpetrator motivations gender-based violence clinical social work
Γεώργιος Φιλιππίδης
Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης
Αναστασία Μπράνη
Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης
Abstract

Image-Based Sexual Abuse (I.B.S.A.) is a contemporary and alarming form of digital violence with serious implications for the youth population. I.B.S.A. encompasses the non-consensual distribution of sexual images, as well as related practices such as sexual extortion (sextortion), coerced sexting, cyberflashing, upskirting, and the production of deepfake/nude content. The phenomenon is linked to gender inequalities and diverse psychosocial parameters, reflecting the interplay of social, cultural, and technological factors. This scoping review examines and synthesizes current literature, focusing on the prevalence of I.B.S.A., associated risk factors, and the motivational mechanisms of adolescent and young adult perpetrators. The search was conducted across PubMed, Google Scholar, and SCOPUS databases, as well as the journal "Social Work – Review of Social Sciences," including studies from Europe, North America, and Australia. A total of 29 studies met the inclusion criteria. The main findings demonstrate that: (a) I.B.S.A. exhibits high prevalence rates with a strong gender dimension, where men are more frequently identified as perpetrators; (b) perpetration is associated with psycho-social factors, such as tolerance of sexist discourse and victim-blaming attitudes; (c) critical psychological traits of perpetrators emerge, including empathy deficits, low self-esteem, low self-control, and "Dark Tetrad" personality dimensions (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism); and (d) motivations focus on social approval from peer groups (social learning), entertainment, and the reinforcement of "hegemonic masculinity." The study concludes that there is a need for targeted interventions by Clinical Social Work to cultivate digital education and prevention, therapeutic treatment of perpetrators, as well as actions to dismantle gender stereotypes in the community.

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