If an ex is threatening to share an intimate photo of you, it can feel scary, stressful, and overwhelming.
You might worry about people seeing it, getting into trouble, or not being believed.
You are not alone.
You deserve protection.
And help is available.
You are not the one in trouble #
If you shared an image with a partner in the past and now feel unsafe because they might share it, the focus is not on blaming you.
It is about keeping you safe and stopping the image from spreading.
Support services, safeguarding teams, and the police care about your safety first.
Their priority is to protect you, not punish you.
Why speaking up quickly helps #
The sooner you tell someone, the more that can be done to prevent the image being shared further.
There are ways to:
- Block the image from being uploaded
- Remove it from certain online platforms
- Stop threats from continuing
- Protect you from further harm
You don’t have to deal with this on your own.
Who can help #
If you are worried an image might be shared, talk to a safe adult or support service as soon as you can.
People who can help include:
- A parent or carer
- A teacher or safeguarding lead
- A youth worker
- A trusted family member
- School or college staff
- Online safety services
- The police (through a safe adult if you prefer)
Safeguarding teams and the police often work together on this.
Their goal is to protect you, stop the threats, and prevent harm.
What to say when you ask for help #
You can keep it simple.
You could say:
- “My ex is threatening to share a photo of me and I’m scared.”
- “I don’t know what to do and I need help.”
- “I think someone might share an image of me that I don’t want shared.”
You will be taken seriously.
You will be supported.
What NOT to do #
- Don’t reply to threats
- Don’t try to negotiate with your ex
- Don’t delete messages if they show what happened
- Don’t keep it to yourself or hope it goes away
You haven’t done anything wrong by asking for help.
Your safety comes first #
Threatening to share an intimate image is abuse.
It is illegal.
It is never your fault.
You deserve support that helps you feel safe, protected, and in control.
Key things to remember #
- You are not to blame
- Support teams want to keep you safe, not get you into trouble
- The sooner you speak up, the more can be done to help
- Safeguarding services and the police can work to stop the image being shared
- You should not deal with threats on your own
- You deserve protection, respect, and safety
Reaching out for help is a strong and important step.
You do not have to face this alone.
