Three-quarters of people believe victims of “revenge pornography” should be given automatic anonymity to bring the offence in line with other sexual crimes.

In an ICM poll 75% of men and women questioned supported campaigners who want victims’ identities to be protected after an allegation is made to police. The revenge pornography law – introduced in April last year – does not treat the offence as a sexual crime and girls, men and women who are victims face being re-victimised if a suspect is arrested and charged, say campaigners. There is also concern that victims are not supporting prosecutions because of fears of an online backlash if they come forward.

Dr Clare McGlynn, a professor of the centre for gender equal media at Durham University, which carried out the research, said: “Automatic anonymity for all victims of image-based sexual abuse is vital in the interests of justice to ensure increased reporting and prosecutions. We know that victims are reluctant to report this pernicious crime to the police because they fear their images or videos going viral on the internet.

“The focus of the law must be on the harm to victims, not the motives of perpetrators. Image-based sexual abuse is a form of sexual exploitation and abuse and victims deserve our support and protection.”

Revenge pornography, or the disclosing of private sexual photographs without the consent of the individual and with intent to cause distress, emerged as a phenomenon about five years ago and campaigners – including the Conservative MP Maria Miller – pushed for a new law. But last month, the Home Office rejected calls to make it a sexual offence, which would give victims lifetime anonymity.

Karen Bradley, then minister for preventing abuse, said in a letter to Alistair Carmichael MP, who was supporting calls for anonymity: “Whilst victims can in some circumstances feel violated by the malicious disclosure of sexual images the offence is not a sexual one.

“It does not require any element of sexual contact or sexual gratification and it does not attract sex offender registration … We do not consider automatic anonymity is necessary or desirable in the case of revenge pornography.”

But Miller said not protecting victims’ anonymity was affecting the number of cases being prosecuted. She said: “Thousands of people have reported being a victim of revenge pornography in the past year, yet just a handful of cases result in criminal convictions.

“Too often the victims say they can’t face the prospect of their case coming to court. If victims were able to seek anonymity, as is the case with sex offences, it is clear that more perpetrators would be brought to justice.”

The poll by ICM questioned 2,048 people who were asked if victims of revenge pornography should have the same anonymity as victims of other sexual offences. Male respondents were 72% in favour while 77% of women supported anonymity; an average of 75% in support.

Figures released in April from 31 police forces in England and Wales after a freedom of information request by the BBC revealed that most offences of revenge porn do not result in a criminal charge. There were 1,160 reports of revenge porn between April and December 2015. Three victims were 11 years old.

In 11% of cases the suspect was charged, 7% received a caution and 5% a community resolution. However, 61% of cases resulted in no action being taken, with lack of evidence or the victim withdrawing support given as the reason.