A study co-led by Durham Law School at Durham University has found that many women are changing their daily routines because of in-person flashing and unsolicited explicit images sent to their phones. The research shows these incidents make women feel less safe both in their communities and online, leading them to avoid certain areas or to change how they use digital devices.
Professor Clare McGlynn KC (Hon), Professor of Law at Durham Law School, and Professor Fiona Vera-Gray of London Metropolitan University co-led the study. The research, published in early February 2026 (10 February 2026), found that women are almost three times as likely as men to experience cyberflashing and more than three times as likely to experience in-person sexual exposure. The survey reports, for example, that overall 23% of women (compared with 8% of men) said they had experienced cyberflashing, while 30% of women (versus 9% of men) reported lifetime in-person sexual exposure. Young women aged 18–24 reported particularly high rates: 45% said they had experienced cyberflashing.
The study highlights the additional “safety work” victims undertake to stay safe—such as choosing different walking routes, avoiding going out alone, restricting online activity or altering how they use devices—measures that limit how women navigate daily life.
The findings come after the UK government designated cyberflashing a “priority offence” under the Online Safety Act in late 2025, a change intended to require platforms and regulators to act more proactively against this behaviour (see the Online Safety Act 2023 (Priority Offences) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and associated parliamentary debates).
Locally, the report is expected to reignite debates about campus and city safety—including calls for improved lighting and other measures in student-heavy areas such as the Viaduct and the riverside paths along the River Wear.
Professor McGlynn, who has written and spoken at length about cyberflashing on her academic site, said the behaviour “is not a joke or a prank; it is a form of sexual abuse that causes real-world harm, humiliation, and fear.” The study’s authors and press material note that many victims report feeling less safe as a direct result of these incidents.
Durham University offers a range of safety resources for students and staff, including the SafeZone app, 24/7 campus security patrols and guidance linking to locally signposted ‘Night Lights’ well-lit routes. The research—commissioned to inform policing guidance and training—makes it likely that local authorities and Durham Constabulary will review the findings as they consider public-safety advice and security measures for the city.
