
𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘, 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗬𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚
Indecent exposure or ‘flashing’ is when someone shows their genitals in order to scare or upset another person.
'Cyber flashing' is when indecent exposure happens online or over text message.
Indecent exposure is a form of sexual abuse – the phrase we use to describe any sexual activity or act that happened without consent.
Indecent exposure – or 'flashing', as it is sometimes known informally is sometimes treated as something ‘funny' but, it's in fact a crime that is often upsetting and scary for the victim, and can make them feel unsafe.
For some people, it can have a long-term impact on their wellbeing.
No-one ever deserves or asks for indecent exposure to happen. 100% of the blame lies with the perpetrator or perpetrators.
It is common to hear of people being ‘flashed’ in parks, on the street and on public transport. However, it can happen anywhere and at any time of the day or night.
So, what exactly do people mean when they use the terms ‘indecent exposure ‘flashing’ and 'cyber flashing'?
𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦
𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗟𝗔𝗪
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 ‘𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦’ 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘩 𝘭𝘢𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 ‘𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦’.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 says someone commits exposure if they intentionally expose their genitals and intend that someone will see them and be caused alarm or distress.
Someone who commits exposure can be sentenced for up to two years in prison.
Some people who commit this offence show their genitals very quickly before covering them or running away, which is where the term ‘flashing’ comes from.
But, others might expose them for longer and/or sexually pleasure themselves at the same time.
No matter how long it lasted, exposure is always a crime.
Many people who commit exposure also go on to commit other sexual offences that involve physical contact. These include sexual assault and rape.
“𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 100% 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 ‘𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘴’. 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺.”
'𝗖𝗬𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚' 𝗔𝗡𝗗 '𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗦'
𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲.
In other words, when someone sends another person an unwanted photo or video of either their genitals or someone else’s, what is commonly known as a ‘dick pic’. Or, when someone exposes themselves to another person over live video.
This form of indecent exposure has become known as ‘cyber flashing’.
Cyber flashing can be carried out by someone the victim knows, or by a stranger. It can happen in lots of different situations for example:
• On dating apps or websites.
• On social media.
• Over text message.
• Over WhatsApp or other messaging apps.
• During a video call.
• Over email.
• Via Airdrop, nearby Share or other apps that allow someone to send files to other people close by – including strangers.
Although cyber flashing is a form of indecent exposure, it isn't always treated as a criminal offence in the English and Welsh justice system. That's partly because the law that makes 'exposure' a crime wasn't really written with the online world in mind...
However, the British government recently said it plans to make sure that 'cyber flashing' is clearly named in law as a criminal offence.
The Law Commission, an organisation that recommends legal reforms, says:“…𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙮𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨: 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚, 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣.”
Like indecent exposure or flashing that happens in person, cyber flashing is often upsetting and scary for victims and survivors, and can make them feel unsafe. For some people, it can have a long-term impact on their wellbeing.
DJN
FENDO UK