Contrary to (surprisingly) popular (mostly male) opinion, there’s not a single human being out there who actually likes receiving unsolicited dick pics or inappropriate sexual messages out of nowhere. Shocker! But don’t worry, JOYclub’s got you covered with some helpful measures to make sure you only see what you want to see.
More than just unpleasant
Sexual harassment is a global issue, and therefore also hyper present in the UK. Research shows 97% of women in the UK have experienced some type of sexual harassment throughout their lives, with 96% of them not reporting it because they didn’t believe it would change anything. In this day and age, this problem has, like everything else, gone digital. It seems the catcallers making us uncomfortable on our morning run, way to work or evening stroll have expanded their business to social networks - with no less ambition.
One in five women in the UK have experienced online harassment, half of which was sexually or misogynistically connotated, and a horrifying 27% even threatening sexual or physical assault. Unsolicited sexual pictures are even more common - almost half of the women between the ages of 18 and 24 have received explicit pictures they did not consent to.
We from JOYclub recognize these problems and want to do our part with our measures to make you feel safe and sound in the community, and offering support where we can.
As of March 2022, sending unsolicited sexual pictures, also called cyberflashing, is actually a crime in the UK! If you have received a picture of someone’s genitals that you did not consent to seeing, you can now file a police report against them. Punishment may consist of fines or even criminal sentences, depending on the circumstances.
So, dear creeps, you might want to think twice before hitting “send”.
How to react to inappropriate behaviour in JOYclub
To avoid uncomfortable situations and distance yourself from members that are behaving inappropriately, there’s a few functions in JOYclub that can help you.
Here’s some of them:
1. Dick Pic Filter
No one wants to be caught off guard by an unflattering snapshot of a stranger’s penis while scrolling through their ClubMails. That’s why, without having to configure anything, pictures from people who are not in your contacts appear as blurred unless you decide you want to see them.
Outside of your messages, if you don’t feel like seeing any genitalia, explicit content is blurred unless you’ve unlocked over-18 content in the menu. If you see something explicit anyway, make sure to report it! It could be that it slipped through our filters somehow, some people put a little too much creativity into disguising their willie..
2. Only let people contact you that you’re interested in
Did you know you have some control over who is even allowed to contact you? In your profile administration settings, go to “Manage Profile” and then “Search criteria”. Here you can decide on gender and age range of who you want to talk to. This is not only useful for your personal quest to find an attractive someone, but you can also decide to not let anyone contact you via ClubMail who doesn’t fit your criteria by checking the mark on the bottom, or to only let verified profiles contact you.
This may not eliminate all risk of someone misbehaving towards you, but it can definitely help filter some contacts that you deem inherently inappropriate
3. No thanks / End conversation
Sometimes, words suffice - sometimes, actions have to be taken.
If you have received a message that you find inappropriate, you can take things into your own hands by sending them a template message that will kindly let them know to get lost with the “No thanks”-button, or write one your own. Depending on how well your counterpart can deal with rejection, this might be enough for them to not bother you anymore.
However, you’re free to save your energy and simply hit “End conversation”. This way, the chat is closed for 30 days and reopened after. If someone is merely annoying you a little, this is a good way to get rid of them; 30 days of blockage should be enough to make most people lose interest and patience. If you want to keep them away from you for good, stay tuned for the next option.
4. Ignore a profile
To ignore someone, simply go on their profile, click the three dots and select “Ignore profile”. This function is a bit more permanent: ignoring a profile will make them disappear out of your sight and you out of theirs! You will not be able to send each other ClubMails any longer, your profiles will be invisible to each other and all exchanged messages will be hidden. In groups and forums though, yours and their messages will still be visible to each other to not disturb the thread.
This doesn’t have to be the case until doomsday, though. If you want to, you can reverse ignoring a profile by going to “Ignored members” in your contact settings, clicking on the editing symbol, unchecking the mark and saving your changes.
5. Don’t hesitate to report someone
JOYclub support is here to help! If someone has made you feel uncomfortable or has acted against our Community Guidelines, we encourage you to report this to us to keep JOYclub a safe space for everyone!
You can report ClubMails directly to us in the message’s options. If you have any other concerns, feel free to reach out to JOYclub support here. We take breaches against our guidelines very seriously. In the event of a breach, the support team will take action ranging from issuing a warning to temporary or permanent suspension of the profile.
If it is a legal matter, you can also get help outside of JOYclub by filing a police report!
And to the not so gentle men and women:
Please.
Consent is key in basically any situation - not only for physical sexual contact.
A picture or a remark that may seem harmless to you may not be received so well by your interlocutor. A study shows that women of all sexual identities largely agree that this is a no-go. Half of women reported feeling “grossed out”, and 46% even said they feel “disrespected” when receiving explicit pictures without consenting. Only 26% of women were found to have a positive reaction to it.
Men, in contrast, seem to take things more lightly, with 44% saying they are “entertained” by it and 41% reporting it makes them curious. Only a fourth of men have a negative reaction.
However, the way we see it, any odds of upsetting someone are not worth it. Whether it’s a woman or a man you’re talking to, be respectful. Ask before sending a picture and handle rejection like a champ and not like a child throwing a tantrum. Besides, whoever said asking for consent was lame is not up to speed; there’s something very hot about someone telling you just how much they want to see your spectacular phallus...
But why even do it?
Whether it is catcalling or being sent unsolicited pictures, if you’ve been a victim of this obscure type of sexual harassment , you’ve probably wondered “why?”. Do they really think this is gonna get them laid? Is this what people call flirting nowadays? Or do they just want to get a reaction, no matter if it’s positive or negative?
A study shows 82% of men who have sent unsolicited pictures did so in an effort to elicit a reaction or even get a picture in return. A significant proportion of respondents, however, admitted to doing so as a form of domination. They stated it made them feel powerful and gave them a sense of control over the other person. For some, their arousal even heightens when they’re being rejected. This is something that feminist theorists have been pointing out for years: in some cases, as with rape, cyberstalking is done for misogynistic reasons and with the aim of exerting dominance over women. Some senders of dick pics seek to generate excitement and flirtation, others are interested in generating shock, fear and disgust in the recipients. In fact, the same study showed that men who have sent such images without consent had higher levels of narcissism and sexism than those who did not. Interesting..
Fact is: what some people may perceive as flirting or showing interest in someone is seriously crossing the boundaries of others. So, dear everyone, keep it in your pants (or camera roll) unless you’re asked.
To quote a very wise US comedian:
Have you ever received an unsolicited sexual picture? What was your reaction? Tell us about it in our forum!
Do you know JOYclub? Become a part of our unique community and live your desires!
At JOYclub, there’s a big, vibrant community waiting for you. Our fascinating content will turn your love life upside down. Whether you’re male, female, hetero, LGBTQI, single or in a couple – live out your fantasies at JOYclub! We’re looking forward to welcoming you!
