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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that *some* men need to just STOP doing this?!

312 replies

perplexedandvexed · 05/11/2021 14:45

Ok firstly I'll start by saying I know that this is not ALL men. However I myself have experienced it on numerous occasions and now my 12 year old daughter has too.

Please, men of the internet, STOP SENDING YOUR DICK TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT ASKED FOR IT

My daughter is 12 and after much deliberation we allowed her to have an Instagram account on the proviso that I have full access to it at any point. Before anyone has a go for letting her have one, the majority of her friends have them and the ones that aren't allowed them still have them just without their parents knowing.
We're very close and open about most things so she's happy to let me have full access and always shows me if anyone messages her.
She mainly uses it for looking at pictures of dogs and following her favourite music artists etc.
She started getting messages off a guy she did not know, he had no pictures of himself on his profile but all fairly innocent posts - scenic views/ some pumpkins at Halloween/ a couple of dog pics.
His messages just said 'hi' and 'I like your dog'
She did not reply and then gets sent a picture of his rather unimpressive penis in an excitable state. From the photo he sent, he looks no older than 16/17
She immediately replied with 'eww that's grim, I'm only 12 and I'm telling my Mum' which she did. The account immediately got deleted after that so I'm assuming the little wet wipe panicked but JUST WHY? I have reported but doubt anything will get done.

I too have had several sent to me on various platforms, all seemingly normal men and then all of a sudden - HERE, have a picture of a random part of my anatomy that you didn't ask to see.

What can we do to educate boys/ men that this is the biggest turn off and that no self respecting woman gives a shit about seeing some random strangers worm dick?

Sorry, I don't really know what I'm hoping to get from this post I just wanted to vent.

OP posts:
thedancingbear · 05/11/2021 15:22

Why all this 'some men' stuff? Even if it is only some men who do it, all men are responsible for the culture that permits it. Men bear collective responsibility.

Reptar · 05/11/2021 15:23

I just posted on the Petitions board, that a petition has been started to give women a specific way to report this kind of harassment.

''Social media sites to provide a way for women to report sexual harassment''
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/petitions_noticeboard

BashfulClam · 05/11/2021 15:24

I am always confused by dick pics. I got sent several whilst online dating. One guy had exchanged a few messages about music etc then he asked what I was doing. I replied I was wrapping Christmas presents-BAM-dick pic wtaf! I used to say ‘what’s that? It looks like a penis but much smaller’ then block them!

WorkHardPlayHard1 · 05/11/2021 15:27

@Comedycook

Oh come on...your DD is too young for a social media account. She shouldn't accept friend request from random strangers and if anyone she doesn't know messages her, they should be blocked immediately. The fact she didn't do this shows she is not mature enough to be on social media. I'm not blaming her by the way....but she clearly is too young to know how to handle these situations. Parent your child fgs.
Victim blaming alert! 🧐You should know better 🙃
Queenoftheashes · 05/11/2021 15:28

@IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves

It's indecent exposure. It should be treated the same way in law as if they stepped in front of you and opened their grubby flashing mac.
Yes he should be reported to the police who can give him a job and a gun
Prokupatuscrakedatus · 05/11/2021 15:28

I always wonderd if this is the digital equivalent of flashing?

Men whose sexual developement got stuck at stage toddler and who used to lurk in parks showing of their genitals for kicks now doing it online with less risk and freezing involved.

EmbarrassingHadrosaurus · 05/11/2021 15:30

@AnyFucker

There is no point telling them we don’t want to see dick pics

That is why they do it

And you did not need to use the word “some”. All men need to shame all men not to do this.

Agreed.

I've heard that unsolicited pics of this nature are popular on gay dating apps. I've no idea if that's true and if it would ruin the exchanges if explicit consent had to be obtained. Despite that, in every other context, unsolicited pictures should never be sent. I would be disappointed if obtaining consent would disrupt the process for gay men but overall I'd prefer consent to be necessary.

Comedycook · 05/11/2021 15:33

@WorkHardPlayHard1

Very much not victim blaming but the op was being ridiculously naive to allow her DD to have a social media account. She does not have the maturity or judgment to make decisions...if she had, she wouldn't have accepted the friends request and would have immediately blocked. I'm not blaming the DD...she is only 12. Obviously men shouldn't do this and he should be reported

Graphista · 05/11/2021 15:35

You're absolutely right that what we NEED for men and boys to cut this crap out!

Personally I think the time is LONG past due where really the govt should have invested in a method of instantly reporting such incidents on the device as it happens and I think instant fines of the perpetrators would be a good deterrent too

But I do also think you need to educate yourself on the platform and IT safety for youngsters so you can help her set it to be a private account she's far too young for an open one

And you did not need to use the word “some”. All men need to shame all men not to do this.

Agree with this!

I'm SO sick of the NAMALT crap!

Actually yes most men if not actively part of rape culture themselves are complicit in not challenging those who are It's about damn time men who CLAIM to be "good guys" but laugh at others rape jokes, shrug their shoulders at the horrific vawg we are experiencing etc actually behaved like "good guys" and challenged and changed the culture

You've also been rude to @Tal45 who I agree with too.

If dd isn't mature enough to adhere to rules for HER safety using this platform then she shouldn't be allowed to use it - regardless of her friends being allowed!

My own dd many a time gave it "but everyone else is allowed"

Everyone else isn't MY dd that I intended to raise safely and healthily and with good boundaries and behaviour.

She is now 20 and in conversations we've had it's clear that while it annoyed/frustrated her at the time, knowing what she does now (and having seen the paths others without parents who cared enough to have rules and high level boundaries have taken) with hindsight she sees that I was right and that I was protecting her from the world/herself.

12 is when you actually need to have an eye towards teen rebellions on the horizons and establishing the FACT that what you say goes - no matter what her friends/peers and their parents are doing.

My dd was of the generation where teens were really just starting to have smart phones of their own and sm accounts etc.

She had a smart phone (I'd pass down my old ones she didn't need new imo) and I paid for the mins/texts as was the case then but basically paying for her to be able to use it, I also of course paid for the Wi-Fi at home.

The rule was it was MY phone I was loaning to her.

I was to have access to EVERYTHING she did on it at all times and could request it be handed over at any time to be checked and monitored which I did regularly.

She wasn't allowed to have sm accounts below the age the providers suggested.

She wasn't allowed to have open accounts and I had to approve everyone she allowed to see her accounts.

She wasn't allowed to post pictures of herself without my prior approval (to check for appropriate poses/clothing etc but also things like ensuring our house number, her school info etc wasn't accidentally in there)

This policy served us well when a friend of hers turned on her and basically embarked on a campaign of trying to oust dd from her close group of friends, online bullying etc which I was able to spot early doors and deal with.

Even now she is 20 she is very careful with her sm and who she allows on it immediately blocks anyone who remotely behaves in any dodgy way.

This is your job as a parent to teach her how to manage this part of modem life.

I'd have also garnered any info I could about the sender and reported him.

TLDR If you and she can't secure the account she shouldn't have it

@Reptar I'll be signing that thanks

It's not victim blaming to expect a parent to acknowledge the sad realities of the world at present and parent a 12 year old appropriately

Djifunrsn · 05/11/2021 15:37

I'm not really having a go about the Instagram but...

I have a teen dd and she doesn't have Insta. Really, she doesn't, not even in secret. I have explained to both teens that they can have a lot of things, such as access to any movie (regardless of certificate), they can have things like Whatsapp despite being under 16 which is the requirement, they can swear at home, they can do almost anything they want, they can have money if they think about how they are spending it etc

But no fucking Instagram!!!! It's useless and a modern day cancer.

Livpool · 05/11/2021 15:37

That is awful!!

My friend (thankfully an adult) got sent a picture of a flaccid one. It was weird and not very impressive 🤷🏼‍♀️

OneTC · 05/11/2021 15:40

I always wonderd if this is the digital equivalent of flashing?

It's exactly that

perplexedandvexed · 05/11/2021 15:42

@Comedycook

Oh come on...your DD is too young for a social media account. She shouldn't accept friend request from random strangers and if anyone she doesn't know messages her, they should be blocked immediately. The fact she didn't do this shows she is not mature enough to be on social media. I'm not blaming her by the way....but she clearly is too young to know how to handle these situations. Parent your child fgs.
I love how you judge my parenting based on one post. I do parent her, we have talked about the whole incident and what needs to happen in future if someone requests her. She doesn't usually, she said she accepted him initially as his name was very close to someone from school so she thought it was him and then totally forgot about it. She does not spend hours and hours online, she doesn't chat to strangers. I'd rather have a daughter who comes to me immediately with things like this than hide it from me. You do your way and I'll do mine thank you ☺️
OP posts:
LittleDandelionClock · 05/11/2021 15:46

YANBU of course @perplexedandvexed and I can only surmise that men do this because it turns them on. It's fucking grim.

Comedycook · 05/11/2021 15:47

I'd rather have a daughter who comes to me immediately with things like this than hide it from me

Yes of course but it would have been even better if this hadn't have happened at all.

RantyAunty · 05/11/2021 15:48

Nobody is blaming OP or her DD.

The fact is there are many many predators out there waiting to zoom in on the young and vulnerable.

They waste no time at all.

Take the case in Australia with the little girl Cleo.
That guy followed families camping who posted up family pictures.
All very innocent for the families to do but a predator can guess their whereabouts and daily habits over time.

My DD has 3 DC and none of them are allowed to post anything other than a headshot for a profile picture that is accessed publically.
Everything is locked down to friends only. People they actually know in person.

It's sad it has to be that way but there is something messed up in many men out there and there are no signs of it stopping any time soon.
The weak DV and violence against women laws and their enforcement seem to make them even more brazen.

So yes 100% men need to stop this shit but I don't see it happening until there are real consequences for them.

trumpisagit · 05/11/2021 15:48

Clearly neither you, your parenting or your daughter are the problem.

Yes while many men do this, then ALL men need to be part of the solution.

You are right to be angry.

LittleDandelionClock · 05/11/2021 15:48

Must admit I would not let a 12 y.o. use instagram @perplexedandvexed but I won't slate your parenting. You live and learn, and none of us are perfect. Maybe let her have one when she is 16. (Probably be something new out then!)

EmbarrassingHadrosaurus · 05/11/2021 15:50

@OneTC

I always wonderd if this is the digital equivalent of flashing?

It's exactly that

I read somewhere there it isn't officially a cyber offence (I can't think why).

But instances of ‘cyber-flashing’ or ‘surprise dick pics’, sent online (where these pictures are taken in private rather than in public) do not currently constitute an offence in their own right.

www.olliers.com/news/is-sending-unsolicited-images-illegal-olliers-solicitors/

we examine the phenomenon of cyberflashing, outlining its prevalence, harms, and victim-survivors’ experiences. We then consider the extent to which English criminal law currently applies to this form of sexual abuse. We argue that although cyberflashing can be prosecuted in England and Wales, this is only in very limited circumstances; the existing law is confusing, piecemeal, has significant omissions, and consequently prosecutions are extremely unlikely. As such, the current criminal law in England and Wales is failing victim-survivors of cyberflashing. Due to its prevalence, its harmful impacts and similarities with other criminalised forms of sexual violence, comprehensive law reform, which appropriately addresses cyberflashing as a sexual offence, is now critical.

This paper is open access (no paywall): Criminalising Cyberflashing: Options for Law Reform
Clare McGlynn, Kelly Johnson First Published November 15, 2020
doi.org/10.1177/0022018320972306
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022018320972306

PlanDeRaccordement · 05/11/2021 15:50

[quote Comedycook]@WorkHardPlayHard1

Very much not victim blaming but the op was being ridiculously naive to allow her DD to have a social media account. She does not have the maturity or judgment to make decisions...if she had, she wouldn't have accepted the friends request and would have immediately blocked. I'm not blaming the DD...she is only 12. Obviously men shouldn't do this and he should be reported[/quote]
I think you are victim blaming too in all honesty.
No matter what age you allow your DC to have a SM account, you will inevitably have opportunities to teach them how to handle situations that happen. It’s ever parents choice as to when their child is ready and I personally think the 12yr old did very well with her response and telling her mum. That’s what you want, a child that will come to you when things like this happen and this is how they learn how to handle shit like this.

Even a woman with “maturity” and “judgement” might accept a friend request from a person who has said only “I like your dog” and their feed is entirely innocent. The number of women on here that have received dick pics is irrefutable evidence that maturity and judgement do not protect you from cyber flashing.

IfNot · 05/11/2021 15:51

It’s a conversation I plan to have with my son when he’s old enough - obviously not “don’t send dick pics” but I will talk in general terms about this sort of thing.

Oh, I think I actually said "don't send dick pics" Is that bad??

PlanDeRaccordement · 05/11/2021 15:54

@IfNot
I told my DS the same. As in don’t ever send any pictures of you showing your bits or your naked bum. No one wants to see that...man or woman. Only exception is a doctor that has explicitly asked for such a photo because you have a medical problem in that area.

Sailorsgirl44 · 05/11/2021 15:55

This is awful.. Modern day flashing. I don't understand it at all. And I can't imagine any woman getting a photo like that and being happy about it?? So what is the point?! It's disgusting. My daughter is ten and no phone yet.. I'd be horrified if she got a photo like that. And my sons are very young but I hope I can raise them to be respectful to others.

RufustheBadgeringReindeer · 05/11/2021 15:55

My post wasn't about my daughters use of SM, rather the behaviour of men online but it seems we have to just accept that 'some men do that' and blame the mum for letting her use it

That’s exactly how its coming across

Unfortunately with the ‘some’ men comment if you hadn’t said it we’d be on post 750 of ‘not all men’

As a poster said upthread ‘its fucking grim’

over50andfab · 05/11/2021 15:59

If your DD is going on SM you should ensure she does so as safely as possible www.olive-anderson.lincs.sch.uk/what-is-instagram.pdf

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