Youngsters on the line

Call for action

Chan believes that, due to a lack of awareness, many children may not understand the harm they have endured in their early years. However, as they become mature enough to engage in intimate relationships, the repercussions of the trauma can manifest in diverse ways, she says, adding that sexual violence online can inflict significant psychological and physical harm on children, such as depression and anxiety, low self-esteem, self-blame, social isolation and withdrawal.

Moreover, the peril of cyber sexual violence resides in its capacity to transition from online to offline scenarios. If online violence remains unaddressed, it's very likely to spill over into real-life situations, escalating to sexual assault or, in the worst scenario, rape. This exacerbates the gravity of the issue at hand, says Chan.

In Wong's opinion, students enduring violence should receive appropriate aid and psychological treatment. If their mental or physical harm is unresolved, they may internalize the violence, leading to a cycle where they might transform themselves from victims to perpetrators.

She emphasizes that Hong Kong's efforts to combat cyber sexual violence primarily rely on existing laws to deal with offline sexual offenses, including the Prevention of Child Pornography Ordinance, the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, and certain provisions under the Crimes Ordinance.

Hong Kong took a step forward in 2021 by enacting the Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, which identified specific offenses relating to sexual violence online, such as publishing intimate images or threatening to publish intimate images online without consent. Under the law, offenders may face up to five years' imprisonment.

Despite the progress made, Hong Kong still lacks dedicated regulations to specifically deal with cyber sexual violence. Furthermore, a five-year jail term may not be a sufficient deterrent. Wong urges the SAR government to increase the punishment for perpetrators of cyber sexual violence against children.

Szeto calls for the setting up of an online safety commission - an independent body to coordinate help-seeking and complaint mechanisms and develop regulations, guidelines and public resources for digital safety.

She also suggests creating an anonymous hotline for reporting illegal online content, citing INHOPE as an example.

INHOPE is a global network of hotlines dedicated to combating online child sexual abuse material. With 54 hotlines operating in 50 countries and regions, excluding the Chinese mainland and the HKSAR, it enables the public to anonymously report such content. Trained analysts will review the reported materials and, if confirmed to be illegal, law enforcement agencies will be notified, and a notice and takedown order will be sent to the provider involved for the swift removal of the content.

Szeto says the SAR government can draw lessons from INHOPE's operations.

According to Li, three key factors contribute to the occurrence of a crime from a criminological perspective - the potential victim, the guardian and the perpetrator. In the case of online child sexual abuse, apprehending the perpetrator is highly challenging. Therefore, the focus should be on strengthening potential victims' ability to protect themselves and enhancing the guardian's ability to ensure the safety of victims.

Thus, society should allocate more resources for sex education programs targeting guardians, including parents, teachers and social workers.

In Li's view, sex education for potential victims, namely children, is the most fundamental measure to tackle sexual violence at its roots, and schools should allocate sufficient time for sex education to ensure that students receive comprehensive instructions.

Contact the writer at oasishu@chinadailyhk.com