Unwanted distribution of children's images and the right to development

The unwanted distribution of images of children and young people is an issue of concern for many, including young people themselves and those who advocate for them. This article draws on research into child development, self‐presentation, and the developmental implications of computer mediated communication to suggest that distribution of images of children and young people, where unwanted by the image subject, can have implications for development, particularly the development of self‐esteem. It is suggested that an awareness of these implications can and should inform the legal response to the problem of unwanted distribution of images of children and that there is a need to move the discussion about unwanted distribution of images beyond its traditional realm of personality rights and the discourse on privacy. A take‐down scheme relating to images of children is proposed as one response to the problem of unwanted image sharing, particularly in the online realm.