Every month or so, it seems, a new celebrity sexting scandal breaks out, with racy photos being spread all over the internet. The result is pretty much the same: we raise our eyebrows and go back to playing Peggle, or maybe some perverts will look at the pictures or video. As a society, we tend to brush off these sad celebrity nude scandals as something crazy or self-indulgent that happens in Hollywood. But when it comes to dealing with the aftermath of having your nude photos posted online, it’s essential to know how to recover and protect yourself in the future.
Celebrities can usually get back on their feet after bad things happen, but what about the average Joe? Sexting scandals are getting bigger and bigger outside of the celebrity world. They ruin your privacy, cause family problems, bullying, trust issues, and even suicides. When bad things happen with sexting, it’s even more important to tell teens and millennials how important privacy is and what to do if it gets broken.
If a disgusting hacker or a douchebag ex-lover leaked your nudes, your life is probably all over the place right now, but don’t give up. You can get through anything and be better for it. Don’t let this jerk ruin your life over a small mistake. It would give him pleasure. Since you’re pretty great, why should you be the one embarrassed by these things?
How To Get Over Having Your Naked Pictures Leaked
If your naked pictures get posted on the internet, it may feel like the end of the world. However, there are ways to fix the damage.
Take a deep breath.
You’re not at fault. We tend to play the blame game in our society, especially when it comes to women. People want to know what a woman wore when sexually assaulted. They said that if her naked photos were hacked, it was her fault for putting them online in the first place.
Even though it’s true that the best way to avoid a naked scandal is not to take and send naked photos and to never, ever trust anyone with embarrassing photos or information about yourself, many people send naked photos or suggestive texts they probably shouldn’t. So why are people calling you a slut and ignoring your feelings because you got caught?
We’re all human, and that means we all make mistakes. Should this be something you have to pay for the rest of your life? No. Does the fact that you send sexts mean that you deserve to be called a slut or to lose your dignity, privacy, and humanity? No. Whoever gave out your pictures is to blame, not you.
Tell your parents.
Okay, so it’s never fun to have to tell our parents about something stupid or embarrassing we did, but the awkwardness goes through the roof when it comes to sexuality. Jennifer Lawrence finally said something about the photo scandal. She said that she would either never be able to get all the money she made from The Hunger Games trilogy or she would have to call her dad and tell him that naked photos of her were now on the internet.
Still, it’s always best to tell your parents and the right people, like a trusted teacher, a counselor, or the police, what’s going on. Not only might they be able to help fix the problem, but they will also be able to give you comfort and support during a hard time in your life.
Put yourself around people you can trust.
As mentioned above, having trusted friends and family around you can help. Even though it might be embarrassing at first, leaning on the people who care about you will help you feel more stable after seeing your naked photos in public.
After all, everybody makes mistakes. Too many people have killed themselves because of bullying and sexting for you to hide from the world. Be a fighter. Be a survivor! Surround yourself with people who love and understand you, and forget about the rest.
Write down everything.
Keep any photos of the person who did it or the website where you saw them. If the person who leaked the photos sent you text messages, take a screenshot of them. Keep any emails or printouts from the website where the photos were posted from the people who took them.
KEEP EVERYTHING! Keep everything that shows what happened. This will greatly help the police, especially if you go to court.
Try to get the pictures removed.
If you know the jerk who leaked your photo, send them an email telling them to stop. This email should include a settlement agreement that says they will take down your content and can’t bother you again. If you have taken official legal action, your lawyer can help you figure out what to say.
This letter should also include a copyright assignment, which says that you own that naked picture and that if they don’t take it down, they’re in big trouble, and an agreement that if they break your agreement, you can fine them a lot of money.
Find a lawyer and tell the police.
The best thing to do is tell the police and find a lawyer. You might just want to close your eyes and hope the whole thing goes away. Both of them will be able to help you get your picture taken down, and you may even be able to bring the pervert who is making your life hard to court.
File a police report, give them copies of all your records, and ask them if they can do anything to punish the person who did this. Find a lawyer as well. With all the fuss about leaked nudes in the media, there’s bound to be a lawyer out there who knows the ins and outs of your case.
If you can’t get rid of the pictures…
If the website moderator is being a total jerk and won’t take down your name or dirty photos, the best thing you can do is keep an eye on your Google ranking. Your Google rank is the order in which the results for a search of your name or any other topic will show up.
If you pay close attention to your social media, your scandalous photos will end up on the back pages of Google. Anything related to your names, like your Google+, LinkedIn, or Facebook page, should be kept up-to-date. Another great idea is to start a series of blogs under your name and keep them up-to-date. This means that when people search for your name, they will find a lot of good pages before they find the bad ones.
Everything changes.
Even if it doesn’t feel like it now, especially if you are in high school or college, everything passes. Lucky for you, there’s always someone doing something bigger and worse than what you think is embarrassing about yourself.
Even though scars from the event may still show up now and then, most people will have forgotten about it in a month or two. Social media is always on and ready to tell you about the next crazy thing going on in your town.
Say something about it.
If you want to take charge of your situation and take the bull by the horns, you should try to be proactive. Okay, it happened, and it stinks, but try to use what you’ve learned about sexting to help a girl or guy avoid the same problem in the future.
People can talk about the dangers of bullying and sexting at high schools and colleges through programs. If you can help another girl avoid the pain you went through, then at least something good came out of what was a bad situation for you.
Even if scandalous photos of you have been leaked, keep your head up. Having your privacy taken away is hard, but don’t let other people’s actions ruin your life. Find out what went wrong and do something to fix it. Being proactive will help you take control of the situation and make you stronger in the long run.If you do decide to tell the truth, you should be ready for the worst. If you and your partner disagree about something, the blame lies squarely with you. Even if they were responsible for the strain in the relationship, that is no reason to cheat.
You must be mentally ready to conceal the truth. The fact that you cheated will always be a part of your life. To add insult to injury, one other person is aware of it because they were your partner in crime.
When I consider the alternatives, I can see why many people would rather not come clean. Some love require too great a price to pay. They rationalize that keeping the person who means the world to them despite their infidelity is worth bearing the guilt for the rest of their lives.
Have you ever lied to cover up an affair with a partner? Can you tell me how you feel about it? Though we should all feel free to follow our own hearts, we should never endanger the people we care about by making reckless choices.
Related articles you might like: A Photographers Guide To Taking Sexy Photos, How To Be Secure While Sharing Sexy Images On Snapchat, How To Send Nude Selfies Without Getting In Trouble
