Unsolicited DPs were found to be sent for a variety of reasons, including to compliment the recipient and to coerce them into replying with sexual images. Seven factors, including the attractiveness of the sender and the DP, had an impact on MSM’s experiences. Analysis of interviews with 25 MSM dating app users in Canada revealed three “dimensions” of unsolicited DPs-consensual, wanted, and typical-that capture users’ experiences of receiving such images relative to consent and sexual violence frameworks. This study investigated the experiences that MSM have with sending and receiving unsolicited DPs on dating apps. While men who have sex with men (MSM) experience elevated rates of technology-facilitated sexual violence, much of the research has focused on interactions between heterosexual men and women.
The unsolicited “dick pic” (DP), which refers to a photo of a penis that is sent without the consent of the recipient, has been identified as a form of technology-facilitated sexual violence (Powell & Henry, 2017).