A new survey has shed light on a disturbing reality for young Australians, revealing more than half of individuals aged 16 to 24 have experienced some form of sexual harassment. The findings highlight the widespread and often normalised nature of harassment among the nation’s youth.
The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children(LSAC), updates national knowledge of the situation and shows the correlation between online communication and sexual harassment.
2016 research found the majority of sexual harassment cases took place in exterior environments, such as work places. However a case study in 2018 found a rising prominence in online occurrences amongst young Australians.
New online technologies and platforms are bringing new forms of sexual harassment which are disproportionately affecting young people.
Forms of abuse
Online sexual harassment and abuse takes various forms including; sending unwanted messages regarding sex or offensive remarks based on sex, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation, and sending unsolicited requests for naked pictures, videos, or livestream sexual actions to friends, acquaintances, partners, and or complete strangers.
Teenagers are particularly vulnerable.
According to Dr Neha Swami, lead author and Research Fellow at AIFS (Australian Institute of Family Studies), the results show that more work has to be done to stop sexual harassment, particularly within online networks.
‘In 2021, the ACCCE Child Protection Triage Unit received more than 33,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation,’ she said. ‘Each report contains images and videos of children being sexually assaulted or exploited for the sexual gratification of online child sex offenders.’
Parental roles
The data on sexual exploitation of young people reveals the need for better connections and communication efforts. Research also shows that the formation of strong, trustworthy bonds between family members, friends and associates play a critical role in lowering chances of experiencing sexual harassment later in life.
‘While sexual harassment is always the fault of the perpetrator, programs that help adolescents foster healthy relationships with parents and peers at ages 16-17 years may help to reduce the likelihood of them experiencing sexual harassment later on,’ Dr Swami said.
Development through adolescence requires strong relationships in order to steer teenagers towards a safe and knowledgeable path.
As parent to child relationships are challenged through the continuous implementations of technology, the loss of family connections can lead children towards online exploitation.
While current research on Australian experiences amongst adolescence remains limited, the importance of maintaining strong parental relationships is clear.
Dr Swami said, ‘As a parent, building a strong, trusting relationship with your child when they’re young, and nurturing that all the way through to early adulthood could be highly beneficial.
‘Sharing content on social media shouldn’t increase a young person’s risk of sexual harassment. That is a clear signal to governments and social media companies that more needs to be done to prevent perpetration and protect teens online.’
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