Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Empathy, and Judgements of Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Image (NCDII) Victims

Reports of non-consensual distribution of another person’s intimate images (NCDII) are on the rise. However, despite increasing rates, there remains a lack of understanding of its harmful impacts to victims. Nonetheless, extant findings indicate that personality attributes may be important contributors to attitudes towards NCDII victims. This research therefore sought to investigate the relationship between Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and judgements of NCDII victims, and whether it is moderated by affective and cognitive empathy. 134 adults from the general population completed three self-report questionnaires: the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy, the Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) scale, and the Beliefs about Revenge Pornography. Results of linear regression and moderation analyses showed that higher levels of RWA predict more negative judgements of NCDII, but cognitive and affective empathy did not significantly moderate this relationship. These findings highlight the importance of considering ideological beliefs in addressing NCDII and suggest that efforts to combat victim-blaming should account for authoritarian attitudes. This study provides a foundation for future research on technology-facilitated sexual crimes and emphasizes the need for comprehensive approaches to prevention, support, and justice in the digital age.