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The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many aspects of American life online, including sexual intimacy. Increases in sexting and other forms of virtual intimacy may also have increased the nonconsensual distribution of intimate images (NDII), a form of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA). This study is among the first to quantitatively examine the holistic downstream consequences of NDII victimization among U.S. adults (N= 3,150) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that (a) emerging adults would be more likely to experience NDII during the pandemic than other age groups, (b) that victims would experience more negative downstream consequences than nonvictims across nine health and well-being outcomes, and (c) that victims of marginalized identity groups would experience more severe negative outcomes than their nonvictim peers, as compared to those in more privileged identity groups. Multivariate analyses of variance were used to examine the effects of victimization, gender, race, and sexual orientation on all outcomes. Results supported hypothesis 2 but did not fully support hypotheses 1 and 3. During the pandemic, victims experienced worse well-being on all nine outcomes than nonvictims, and, unexpectedly, some of these outcomes (e.g., alcohol consumption) were further exacerbated in men (vs. women) victims. 

Objective: Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) is a form of technology-facilitated sexual violence in which intimate photos or videos are nonconsensually taken, shared, and/or threatened to be shared. The shift to fully virtual social interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated a spike in IBSA victimization during this time, and—with many organizations functioning at limited capacity—survivors had limited resources available to them to manage the distress associated with victimization. The purpose of this study was to understand the coping strategies used by diverse survivors of IBSA during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Method: We conducted structured interviews using a trauma-informed approach. Using codebook thematic analysis, we analyzed the data from 36 survivors of IBSA during the pandemic (Mage = 31.01; two participants did not disclose age). The sample was diverse in terms of genders, races, and sexual orientations represented. Results: We identified five groups of coping strategies employed by participants: avoiding distressing feelings, reputational damage control, retaliatory sextortion, seeking emotional support, and pursuing justice. Many participants used multiple strategies to manage the distress associated with their IBSA victimization. Conclusions: Survivors of IBSA cope with their victimization in diverse ways, some of which have not been previously reported in coping strategies literature and may be unique to the experience of IBSA. 

In a large and diverse sample of U. S. adults, we assessed participants’ experience with pre-COVID in-person intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and with sextortion victimization during COVID to better understand the relationship between these phenomena. Experiencing sexual IPV pre-COVID increased the likelihood that men and women would experience sextortion during COVID. Men, Black and Native women, LGBTQ individuals, and emerging adults more often experienced sextortion during COVID than other groups. Implications for research on technology-facilitated sexual violence and practice with survivors are explored. 

Abstract We draw from ecological systems and social psychological theories to elucidate macrosystem‐ and microsystem‐level variables that promote and maintain gender inequities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Because gender‐STEM stereotypes undermine girls’ (and women's), but boosts boys’ (and men's), STEM interest and success, we review how they operate in STEM learning environments to differentially socialize girls and boys and undermine gender integroup relations. We propose seven practice recommendations to improve STEM K‐12 education: (1) design relational classrooms, (2) teach the history of gender inequality and bias, (3) foster collaborative and cooperative classrooms, (4) promote active learning and growth mindset strategies, (5) reframing STEM as inclusive, (6) create near‐peer mentorship programs, and (7) re‐imagine evaluation metrics. To support these practice recommendations, three policy recommendations are posited: (1) increase teacher autonomy, training, and representation, (2) re‐evaluate standardized testing, and (3) reallocate and increase government funding for public schools.