Perceptions of the Non-Consensual Sharing of Intimate Images in Ghana

Introduction: The non-consensual sharing of intimate images (NCSII) has been the focus of empirical attention and legislative developments across much of the Western World, with scholars outlining how variation in demographic factors, beliefs, and personality traits predict judgements of victim-survivors of NCSII and of the offense itself. However, despite NCSII being a global concern, this offense remains largely under-researched within African contexts where legislation is less well defined. Methods: This study reports on data from 288 Ghanaian nationals, who completed an online survey comprising demographic information and measures of empathy and beliefs about NCSII and sexting. Results: In addition to validating an extant measure of beliefs about NCSII (the Beliefs about Revenge Pornography Questionnaire ; Harper et al., 2023) within a Ghanaian context, results indicated that higher levels of empathy, over and above demographic information and attitudes towards sexting, predicted more positive victim-focused judgements and a heightened belief that NCSII should be treated as a criminal offense. Conclusions: Within the context of study limitations, this study presents evidence of responder-specific variation in the way in which victim-survivors of NCSII are viewed within a Ghanian context. Policy Implications: Given that extant legislation fails to afford composite protection to victim-survivors of NCSII, our data can begin to facilitate conversations around legislative developments, and help inform how NCSII victimisation is policed and supported within Ghana.