The Education Ministry, Interior Ministry and the Israel Police 105 unit have created a tutorial for teenagers to teach them about the dangers and consequences of spreading sexual photos and videos online in a new project aimed at preventing this phenomenon from happening.
The interactive tutorial, which is aimed at youth aged 12-15, follows a story about a teenage girl called Shelly who discovers that her nude photos have been spread online. The story cuts back and forth between her sitting with her friends as they discuss what to do about it and another group of friends who discuss whether it is okay to spread it further.
The story is meant to prevent situations like Shelly's by alerting Israeli youth to the effects spreading sexual media has on the victims and the potential consequences of sharing intimate photos. The tutorial also teaches teenagers about how wrong it is to spread intimate photos of other people without their permission even if it is already in circulation.
What does the tutorial teach?
Teenagers who participate in the tutorial will learn who to turn to and what to do in a situation in which an intimate photo has been spread around. The tutorial highlights the importance of alerting parents and other responsible adults to the situation and introduces the youth to the 105 police hotline which is available for help in such incidents.
The tutorial also introduces the teenagers to the Videos Law which prohibits the sharing of photos and videos of a sexual nature without the subject's consent. The consequences for breaking this law are up to five years in prison and a fine of up to NIS 120,000.
After each section of the tutorial, the participants are asked questions to test what they have learned, and the answers provide clear explanations. The questions are related to spreading sexual images online but also cover issues like sexual harassment and consent and ensure that the participants know what constitutes sexual.
"The Education Ministry advocates for giving knowledge and tools that are relevant to the reality of students, the digital arena and the social circles they are active in," said Director-General of the Education Ministry Dalit Shtauber. The tutorial doesn't just focus on education to healthy social interaction but also creates emotional identification with students that have been harmed and confronts the students with the consequences of their actions."
"I welcome the production of the tutorial and see great importance in promoting awareness among youth to the Videos Law and the dangers of recording sexual situations and spreading the photos or videos online," said Director-General of the Interior Ministry Tomer Lotan. The 105 hotline deals with reports from youth who have been harmed online every day. Spreading sexual photos and videos has an ongoing effect, and the harm lasts long after the initial sharing."
"The production of the tutorial is a product of learning from the incidents we see at the 105 hotline," said Head of the Civilian Division at 105 Dr. Naava Cohen-Avigdor. "We recognize that spreading sexual photos and videos is a severe phenomenon that has become more common, and more and more youth is hurt from it. It also leads to blackmail and threats and severe emotional damage among the victims."