Revictimizing the victim: the ethics of care in Adam Allen’s sexting case

As humans, we are faced with decisions every day of our lives. Some are tough, and others are obvious; however, there are a few that are life-changing.

The life-changing effects of decisions are evident in the 2017 Hasinoff article, which focuses on the case of 18-year old Adam Allen. The article explains that in the heat of an argument with his ex-girlfriend, Allen decided to share explicit photos she had sent him during their relationship as retaliation — landing him with a registered sex offender’s title after pleading guilty to transmitting child pornography.

However, Allen’s was not the only life that changed with this case. The victim, Allen’s ex-girlfriend, was humiliated and victimized for photographs she sent in trust to her then-boyfriend. Then, to add further salt to the wound, she had to sit by and watch the media defend him proclaiming the “harsh” punishment the legal system ordered was unfair.

If one was to look at this case using the ethic of care, it is quite apparent that Allen’s ex was shown very little respect throughout the entire case as the victim, yet Allen, who was the perpetrator, received more than his fair share of care.

First of all, Allen himself showed no care for his ex when he decided to e-mail her friends, family, and teachers the private photos. While Allen did issue an apology eventually for his decision, it was only done after he was given what was considered to be extreme consequences for his actions. It is impossible to tell if the apology stemmed from genuine remorse for what he put her through or if the punishment spurred it on.

Furthermore, the media also showed a lack of care for the victim. In the media coverage surrounding the case news anchors, journalists, and talk show hosts were often found siding with Allen through sympathizing with him over the severity of his punishment, going as far as blaming the girl herself for sending the photos in the first place. There was no regard given to the fact that it was Allen who crossed lines and broke trust, nor was it acknowledged that she too was “young” and “immature” — a stand they often used in defense of Allen.

#CommEthicsWeek10

Hasinoff, A. A. (2017). Sexting and privacy violations: A case study of sympathy and blame. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 11(2), 202–217. Retrieved from https://www.cybercrimejournal.com/Hasinoffvol11issue2IJCC2017.pdf (Links to an external site.). DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1037391