Youngsters on the line

Illusory sexual consent

Jessica Li Chi-mei, an associate professor at the Department of Applied Social Sciences at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, led a year-long study on online sexual abuse against children in the SAR. The study, launched in April, examined nearly all reported cases in the past decade and interviewed about 80 staff members of primary and secondary schools.

Li's research identified four prevalent forms of cyber sexual violence against children in the city. Sexting means that children receive or forward sexually explicit messages via the internet. Online grooming exploits children by gradually introducing sexual content, leading to explicit sharing of images. Sexual extortion involves coercing teenagers into providing favors or money, while live online child sexual abuse refers to broadcasting real-time exploitation, she explains.

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Chong stresses that sexual consent is a dynamic process that can be given and withdrawn at any point during a sexual encounter.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.

Donna Wong Chui-ling, director of Against Child Abuse, which was set up in Hong Kong in 1979 as a charitable organization specializing in child protection, says the concept of sexual consent is often illusory in many cases of cyber sexual violence against children. For instance, in cases of online sexual grooming, perpetrators manipulate and deceive children to gain their trust before making sexual demands. The consent provided by children in such a situation is not genuine.

Acts of sexual violence against children also frequently involve a significant power imbalance. This could manifest as teachers or coaches exploiting their authority over students, or adults taking advantage of vulnerable minors. The inherent power differential makes it extremely challenging for children to decline sexual demands, leaving them coerced into giving consent.