Please consider responding if you or someone you know has had their sexual images shared online, been threatened using said images, been secretly filmed, etc.

“I suddenly received a DM from someone I don’t know. They said they had seen photos of me naked.”

“They threatened to spread a sexual video of me if I didn’t pay them.”

“My child was photographed by a hidden camera at school.”

“My nude selfies were shared in a group chat.”

Have you faced this kind of situation?

This is called “digital sexual violence.”

The filming and distribution of hidden camera footage, revenge porn, and child sexual abuse material is illegal. However, digital sexual violence still occurs in various ways, and in many cases the abuse goes unnoticed.

Harm from digital sexual violence becomes even more severe when such images and videos spread online. In many cases, perpetrators tell their victims to pay money if they want to prevent their images from being spread; in other cases, the victim’s name and address may be leaked online as well, leading to stalkers.

However, the full extent of harm caused by digital sexual violence remain unknown. This is because few surveys or studies have been conducted on the subject in Japan.

The methods used to perpetrate these crimes must be exposed, and the specific difficulties faced by victims must come to light. Without clearly understanding the situation, it will be difficult to establish the necessary systems for prevention and victim support.

This is why Tansa has decided to conduct a survey of those who have experienced digital sexual violence, as well as their families and friends. If you have knowledge of digital sexual violence occurring in Japan, please consider sharing that information with us.

Since 2022, Tansa has been investigating not only the realities of digital sexual violence, but also the perpetrators who profit from illegal, sexually explicit images and the platform operators who tolerate such criminal acts.

As a result of our investigation, an app that was used prolifically to trade child sexual abuse material ended its operations. Apple and Google also removed the app from their app stores after being contacted by Tansa.

We aim to change the situation current victims face and prevent future harm by reporting the facts, thereby prompting lawmakers, corporations, and society at large to action.

Please consider contributing to our survey.

Questionnaire and consent

We hope to receive survey responses from individuals in Japan who have experienced digital sexual violence, as well as family and friends of such victims.

The scope of digital sexual violence is not clearly defined. At Tansa, we broadly define it as experiences in which images or videos of an individual in their underwear or nude are taken or used without the individual’s consent.

You can use the following form to respond to the survey. All of the questions related to digital sexual violence are optional, so feel free to skip questions you prefer not to answer.

Click here to respond to the survey. (Although the survey is only in Japanese, you may translate it with your browser’s translation function, etc., and submit a response in whichever language you feel most comfortable using.)

Your responses may be published on Tansa’s website and by other related media.

We take the utmost care to ensure that submitted information is not linked to any specific individual unless requested by the individual themself.

Please understand that we are unable to offer individual consultations or engage in negotiations with perpetrators.

The end of the survey form includes a question to confirm your consent to participate, including the possibility that the information you submit will be published.

Requests to remove images and consultation hotlines

We imagine that some individuals considering responding to the survey are currently suffering due to digital sexual violence. The following is information on available support services that you may consider using, depending on the situation. If you are in immediate danger, please first contact the police.

If you want to request the deletion of images

Internet Hotline Center: You can report child sexual abuse material depicting minors (under 18) in underwear or nude, as well as images clearly showing genitalia. Based on these reports, the Center provides information to the police and/or requests site administrators to remove such content.

NPO PAPS: A consultation service for victims of online sexual violence such as revenge porn, hidden cameras, gravure and nude filming, and those involved in the adult video industry and sex industry. PAPS carries out deletion requests free of charge.

If you want to consult with someone

NPO PAPS

Yorisoi Hotline: You can consult with specialized counselors about sexual abuse via phone, chat, social media accounts, and other means.

If you don’t know what to do

One-Stop Support Center for Victims of Sexual Crimes and Sexual Violence: A comprehensive consultation service for issues related to sexual crimes and sexual violence. The Center collaborates with specialized institutions such as obstetrics and gynecology clinics, counseling services, and legal consultation services.

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