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Gender and Law at Durham (GLAD)
drawn images of people standing and sitting in wheelchair holding protest signs, law symbols on a light purple background

Reforming the Law on Cyberflashing

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Project description

The current criminal law is failing victim-survivors of cyberflashing – where penis images are sent to someone without their consent – and urgent law reform is required.

Primary participants

Professor Clare McGlynn

Dr Kelly Johnson

The recently published book Cyberflashing: Recognising Harms, Reforming Laws provides the first comprehensive analysis of the phenonemon of cyberflashing and options for law reform.

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Professor Mcglynn and Dr Johnson's book Cyberflashing: Recognising Harms, Reforming Laws (2021, Bristol University Press) conceptualises cyberflashing as a form of sexual intrusion, as well as examining the nature and harms of this abuse, analysing the current law and comparative examples, and puts forward detailed proposals for law reform. 

Professor McGlynn has also written a blog for the Independent on law reform and the recent Law Commission proposals on cyberflashing, as well as contributing to the growing media and public discussion of cyberflashing, including a BBC report on the everyday harassment of women experiencing cyberflashing: Cyber-flashing: 'I get explicit messages every day'. She has also commented in many other media reports, including from the Reuters Foundation – 'Gross and shocking': Women call for new laws to stop cyber-flashing'; the Independent - 'The tip of the iceberg': Cyber-flashing on trains 'largely unreported' despite huge rise in incidents; and the Huffington Post - Cyber Flashing And Flashing Can Be Equally Harmful. Professor McGlynn also contributed to the Reuters Foundation video giving voice to victim-survivors’ experiences, as well as discussing the need for reform.
 
Professor McGlynn has given oral evidence to the UK Parliament on the need for cyberflashing law reforms, as part of Parliament’s review of the Online Safety Bill. Excerpt of the evidence was posted on twitter by the committee. She has also addressed audiences across Europe, as well as Korea and the US on this growing phenomenon.