What is Upskirting
Upskirting means that someone takes photos under someone else’s clothing of this person’s body parts, or films a video of someone else’s body parts under this person’s clothing. Upskirting comes from English words up and skirt.
The filming is not done under the permission of the victim, but secretly. Usually, the subject of the secret filming is a part under the skirt, such as thighs, panties, genitals or buttocks. Secret filming can also take place under a cloak or other body-covering garment.
From the victim’s perspective, peeping under a skirt or a cloak is an invasion of privacy, offensive, humiliating and distressing. It violates the person’s self-determination and sexual rights.
What is under a skirt or a cloak is not intended for others to see without the permission of the person concerned. Secretly filming under a skirt or a cloak can in principle be compared to secretly filming other people in toilets or locker rooms. In both situations, people want to protect themselves and their intimate parts from the eyes of the others. Secret filming is a punishable offense in toilets or locker rooms. Upskirting can meet the criteria of a crime. For example, if the victim of upskirting is under the age of concent, the offense may be child sexual abuse.
If you are or have been subject to upskirting:
- tell a trusted adult, such as your parents or someone close to you, so you do not have to go through it alone
- seek discussion help from, for example, a health nurse, school curator or school psychologist, youth worker, or parish worker
- netari.fi site has chat services where you can also discuss about what happened
- you can contact the online police or Victim Support Finland, for example through the Help.some mobile application
Youth Service Experts, the Family Federation of Finland