This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Blunt warnings telling teenagers not to share sexual images are failing to protect them and can make victims of image-based sexual abuse feel blamed, ashamed and unable to seek help, according to new research from the University of Surrey. The study, published in Sexualities, found that current responses from schools, child protection services and the justice system are often fragmented, punitive and poorly equipped to address rapidly evolving threats such as sexual deepfakes and sextortion (blackmail involving sexual images).
Researchers argue that blanket "just say no" messages ignore the reality that image sharing can form part of young people's relationships, intimacy and social lives. By treating all sharing in the same way, these approaches can shift responsibility onto victims rather than those who violate consent. The research reviewed existing evidence alongside insights from a 2025 workshop involving 38 professionals from education, law enforcement, frontline services, academia, policy and the technology sector.
Participants reported that institutions can focus more heavily on confiscating devices, preserving evidence or protecting their reputations than on addressing the emotional and social harm experienced by young people. Confusing legal and child protection frameworks can also mean the same incident could be treated as a consensual exchange, a child protection concern or a criminal offense depending on who handles it. Emily Setty, associate professor of criminology at the University of Surrey, said, "Telling young people to 'just don't send nudes' is no longer a credible child protection response.
It ignores how digital intimacy actually works and places the burden of preventing abuse on potential victims. With AI-generated images, a young person can now be targeted even when they have never created or shared an intimate image." Researchers propose an approach called "safe uncertainty," which allows professionals to act decisively while considering the circumstances, relationships and needs involved in each case. Rather than relying only on rigid rules or checklists, schools and child protection services would examine issues such as coercion, breached trust, shame, peer pressure and the young person's emotional safety.
Setty continued, "Young people who disclose abuse need to be met with care, not suspicion or a lecture about their choices. Schools and child protection professionals must be able to respond to the harm in front of them, even when a case does not fit neatly into an existing category. The priority should be restoring safety, dignity and trust." Emily Setty et al, Beyond 'just say no': Safe Uncertainty and rethinking responses to image-based sexual abuse among young people, Sexualities (2026).
DOI: 10.1177/13634607261467872 Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile → PhD nano-engineering from Delft University.
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