China Daily: Youngsters on the line
We are witnessing a distressing upsurge in cyber sexual violence, such as stalking, harassing, grooming, nonconsensual sharing of intimate images and even sextortion, with severe consequences for the victims. In the first of a series of reports, we delve into the problem of online abuse of minors in Hong Kong, with experts worried that this may be just the tip of the iceberg.
Cyber sexual violence against teenagers and juveniles is rearing its head across the globe, and Hong Kong is no exception.
In one case, a teenage girl was totally oblivious to the fact that her intimate photos and videos had long been disseminated on the internet until the police went to her home to probe an online child pornography case.
It emerged that while in primary school, the girl had fostered a friendship online with a boy student. They had frequent cyber chats, leading to her being convinced to enter into a “romantic relationship” with him.
The unwary victim was also asked to send nude photos of herself. Blinded by the illusion of a “love affair”, the girl agreed, thinking that their interactions were solely confined to the digital realm. The boy went further by coaxing her into recording videos of herself engaging in explicit acts. She also did what she was told.
However, the pair eventually lost touch with each other as they were attending different middle schools. The girl kept those encounters to herself, confiding in no one. Her plight came to light when police officers appeared at her doorstep. Her mother was told that an investigation into an online child pornography case had unearthed evidence linking her daughter to explicit videos.
The moment of truth arrived as the girl’s family learned what had happened. The mother tried to downplay the story, pleading with the police to handle it discreetly and telling her daughter not to mention it again. But, the victim had been swarmed with apprehension, leaving her in deep trauma and forcing her to seek help.
In real life, sexual violence against children encompasses a more far-reaching spectrum. It includes any action that causes negative emotions or physical harm to a victim, says Doris Chong Tsz-wai, a social worker and executive director of the RainLily Sexual Violence Crisis Centre. When such violence occurs within cyberspace, including through websites, online forums, social media, phone calls or online games, it’s referred to as online sexual violence.
Chong emphasizes that sexual connotations and nonconsent are two fundamental elements that define sexual violence. “Any behavior involving sexual connotations without the consent of another party can constitute sexual violence.”
To be specific, sexual violence could be in various forms, including violence through direct physical contact like rape and assault, nonphysical contact acts, such as voyeurism and sexual gazes, and even verbal action, such as making degrading comments about someone’s body. A victim subjected to pornographic jokes or repeatedly being asked out on dates on social media can also be considered as online sexual violence if they cause distress to a party involved, says Chong. She stresses that sexual violence isn’t restricted by gender, as both males and females can be offenders or victims. In addition, it can occur in any relationship, including intimate partnerships and marriages.
Chong stresses that sexual consent is a dynamic process that can be given and withdrawn at any point during a sexual encounter. Consent is also specific to a particular act and does not imply consent to any other sexual activity. For consent to be valid, it must be a fully conscious and voluntary decision, being given freely and autonomously without any form of pressure or manipulation.