Austria: Council on Wire and SOS Children's Villages start their new campaign #sicheronline.
As our cooperation partner Safer Internet reports, the results of an underlying study show that young people often blame themselves when they are sexually harassed online. Girls in particular are affected by this.
Is online harassment normal?
Being sexually harassed online is almost normal for young people in Austria - it just happens when you spend a lot of time online. Almost 30% of all young people surveyed are themselves affected by sexual harassment on the Internet. Older teenagers are affected more often than younger ones. also more affected .
Examples of online harassment include:
- Unpleasant and sexual questions: 40% of girls and 10% of boys in Austria have had this experience.
- Unwanted nude photos: Just over 30% of the girls and 10% of the boys surveyed have been sent an unsolicited nude photo that they did not want to see.
- Online blackmail : 13% of girls and 10% of boys have been threatened or blackmailed online.
5% of boys and 3% of girls are affected by the fact that their own nude photos were published without the consent of those pictured.
Experiences with cyber grooming
by cyber grooming, i.e. the forbidden initiation of sexual contact with children and young people using digital media: 20% of girls say they have had this experience at least once - while boys are only harassed half as often .
Saferinternet.at: Cyber grooming – How can I protect my child from sexual harassment on the Internet?
Where and by whom are young people harassed?
sexual harassment takes place wherever young people are :
- Instagram (10%)
- Snapchat (10%)
- Facebook (9%)
- WhatsApp (9%)
- Chat rooms (6%)
- Gaming sites (3%)
Younger teenagers are harassed more often on WhatsApp, Musical.ly and gaming sites than older teenagers.
How do young people defend themselves against online harassment?
However, young people certainly have strategies to deal with harassment in their online environment:
- Block/Lock (52 %)
- Report to the site operator (24 %)
- your own privacy settings (23%)
- get help from parents
- Report to the police (8%)
What support do young people need?
Young people want more information about these topics - primarily from school and from their own parents. The young people surveyed demand that educational education take place as early as the 4th grade of primary school / elementary school - because the first incidents can already occur here. So the offer should be expanded here!
“Children have to learn how to classify their own body feelings!”
says Elke Prochazka from Rat auf Draht . Children must learn to interpret their own feelings and act accordingly. What are pleasant and what are unpleasant sensations? This also includes the famous bus for older relatives. Here it is important that the family accepts a “no” from the children.
An important step in supporting children is to accompany them in their own experiences: For example, children and young people want their parents to go on their first blind dates and support them, but this has rarely been done so far.
About the study:
In the representative online survey commissioned by Rat auf Draht and SOS Children's Villages - carried out by the Institute for Youth Culture Research - 400 young people aged 11-18 were asked about their experiences with sexual harassment online. In addition, six in-depth individual interviews were conducted.
Download the study: “Sexual harassment on the Internet and cyber grooming in the lives of 11 to 18 year olds” (pdf)
Related Links:
- SOS Children's Villages: The results of the study
- Advice on the wire: “#sicheronline” flyer for children and young people with concrete assistance
- SOS Children's Villages: Support for parents on these topics
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