News excerpt

Posted on: September 19, 2019 at 09:18:49 CT

You may be wondering why do men send women unwanted explicit pictures of their genitals. It varies, yet according to researchers at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Canada, who released the first empirical study on the subject this summer, the behavior is linked to heightened levels of narcissism and sexism. “Men may find this exertion of power over women arousing itself, or they may find the shocked, hurt and angry reactions to be humorous or satisfying,” researchers wrote.

According to a 2017 Pew Research Study on cyber harassment, 53% of women ages 18 to 29 report that they have been sent an unsolicited lewd image online. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with sexy pictures – and senders may not always intend to cause harm – the fact that these images are shared without the recipient’s consent qualifies as sexual harassment. “It’s a violation … they’re just forcing it on you,” says Bressler of how it feels to receive unwanted pictures.