The comprehensive study reveals one in five people across Australia have suffered image-based abuse and marginalised groups are especially vulnerable.

However, the ACT is no closer to outlawing the practice, despite an online petition signed by nearly 500 people.

RMIT University and Monash University researchers found women and men were equally likely to be victims.

The most common types of abuse were taking sexual or nude images without consent (20 per cent), distributing images without consent (11 per cent) and threatening to share images (9 per cent).

The survey also for the first time revealed the damaging psychological toll on victims, with those threatened and experiencing "sextortion", and those whose images had been distributed, the most severely affected by depression and/or anxiety.

Chief investigator, RMIT University's Dr Nicola Henry, said the research showed this type of abuse was far more common and affected a wider range of people than previously thought.

"Image-based abuse has emerged so rapidly as an issue that inevitably our laws and policies are struggling to catch up," she said.

"This isn't just about 'revenge porn' - images are being used to control, abuse and humiliate people in ways that go well beyond the 'relationship gone sour' scenario."

RMIT's Dr Anastasia Powell said a lack of proper legal and support responses made it incredibly difficult for victims to get justice.

"We need to rethink our approach both from a legal perspective but also as a community, to change attitudes that often blame the victims and play down the very real harm caused by image-based abuse," she said.

The research findings recommend reforms, including improved support services for victims such as a dedicated helpline similar to the "Revenge Porn Helpline" established in the United Kingdom in 2015.

Legal reforms proposed include making image-based abuse a crime under federal telecommunications law, and addressing the piecemeal legislative approach across the states.

Only Victoria and South Australia have specific laws that criminalise the distribution of intimate or invasive images without consent.

Canberra's Domestic Violence Crisis Service chief executive Mirjana Wilson said in March that female clients had reported being drugged by their partners and forced into degrading sex, which was recorded.

The women were then told if they didn't comply with demands [more degrading sex, dowry, subordination] the images would be posted on Facebook and shown to families.

"We have also heard from women that their partners had threatened to share the intimate images to stop the women from reporting abuse to police or taking out a protection order," Ms Wilson said.

"We are in favour of supporting legislation and laws that provide a clear process for police and the courts to be able to take action and hold people accountable and responsible for harassing and threatening behaviour."

A spokesman for Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay said offenders could be prosecuted under existing laws, but the government would consider recommendations from a national council of Attorneys-General, Justice and Police Ministers.