Call It What It Is

A Survivor's Guide to Navigating Image-Based Abuse, from "Revenge Porn" to Deepfakes

Published by BenBella Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

An authoritative and urgently needed resource for survivors and their allies, this practical guide offers emotional clarity and a clear-eyed examination of Image-Based Abuse as a form of sexual violence hiding in plain sight.

Whether the harm involves authentic images shared without consent or AI-generated deepfakes, this book provides actionable advice on everything from removing nonconsensual intimate imagery and protecting digital privacy to navigating the legal system and rebuilding your life.

Inside, you'll find tools to help you:
  • Understand the full scope and impact of image-based sexual abuse
  • Remove content and secure your digital privacy
  • Confidently navigate the legal system, including civil remedies, criminal laws, and policy reform
  • Protect your mental health while coping with trauma, stigma, and professional consequences
  • Support survivors without perpetuating harm
  • Reclaim your narrative and advocate for the legal, technological, and cultural change needed to combat digital sexual violence

At the end of Susanna Gibson's campaign for the Virginia House of Delegates, intimate images and recordings she never consented to, and never knew existed, were circulated globally and viewed by millions. As she dealt with the fallout, she found no roadmap, no clear language for what had happened, and no one who could tell her what to do.

Part memoir, part legal guide, and part survival manual, Call It What It Is meets readers wherever they are, whether in the first hours of crisis or years into recovery. This is the book she wishes she’d had.

About The Author

Susanna Gibson is a nationally recognized advocate and leading voice on image-based abuse and technology-facilitated violence. A nurse practitioner by training, she entered public life when intimate images of her were illegally created and exploited during her Virginia legislative race. Determined that no one else should have to endure what she did, she transformed her experience into advocacy and founded MyOwn Image, a survivor-centered organization advancing support, education, and policy reform. Her work has shaped bipartisan legislation across the country and informed national conversations about consent, online abuse, and the urgent need for modern legal protections.

Gibson now speaks across the country about consent, modernizing laws for the digital age, and the power of reclaiming your narrative. She collaborates with survivors, lawmakers, and civil society leaders to advance stronger protections and trauma-informed approaches to digital sexual abuse.

Product Details

  • Publisher: BenBella Books (March 30, 2027)
  • Length: 200 pages
  • ISBN13: 9798902680598

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