The response of Australian police in Queensland Wednesday was predictable and disturbing.

In the wake of revelations reported in News.com.au regarding the sharing of more than 2,000 non-consensual, intimate photos of teens and young women in a global “porn ring,” the police chose to blame the victim .

“Pictures you post on social media sites are unfortunately there for the taking to anyone who is your friend, or even a friend of a friend,” they said in a statement.

However for teenagers, there is little delineation left between life online and life offline. It’s been that way since smartphones were placed in the hands of nine out of 10 Australian teenagers. It could be said that authorities, schools and parents who pretend there is such a separation are avoiding reality and putting young people in danger.

How can police shift their focus to address the perpetrators? How do we talk to teenage boys, who will soon become young men, about the consequences of sharing these images?

We could start by asking them. Read more…