Online sexual abuse now at severe levels

Activists carry messages denouncing sexual harassment and rape as they move from Suntiphap Park to Victory Monument in 2022. (File photo)
As they move from Suntiphap Park to Victory Monument in 2022, protesters carry signs decribing sexual abuse and murder. ( File photo )

According to the National Economic and Social Development Council ( NESDC ), the growing threat of sexual harassment on social media is having a serious impact on young people.

In its cultural view report released on Aug 26, the NESDC said patients of such abuse are at risk of developing social, emotional, and mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.

In some cases, they also commit criminal acts as a result of the hardships they have experienced. ECPAT International, a Unicef-affiliated company, identified Thailand as one of the 25 countries with disturbing rates of online sexual abuse against children and youth. This information corresponds with information from the Royal Thai Police, which shows a sharp increase in child sexual abuse situations, from 48 in 2017 to 540 next year.

According to the NESDC, website sexual abuse against kids is broken into three levels. The perpetrators of low-level harassment are frequently accused of not taking their steps seriously as damaging. At this point, perpetrators abuse victims by making inappropriate remarks about school-aged children, such as those who are sexually attracted to young ladies, and who make remarks about school-aged children.

The average level concentrates on repeated deeds intended to cause victims mental distress. It usually involves continual harassment, attempts to embarrass and embarrass victims, and the progressive invasion of individual privacy.

The severe/high stage involves violent and aggressive steps, causing emotional and psychological damage. This amount of abuse is in direct violation of the laws governing sexual abuse. Examples include conniving minors into loving relationships and making them commit sexual functions, recording these functions without their consent, and exploiting the victims by charging them to watch the recordings.

Some young people do not know how to get support if they or their friends have been sexually abused online, according to a report released by Unicef in 2022. According to the NESDC, some people do not recognize themselves as patients, while others are too timid to review it, which leads to underreporting these crimes.

Actions must be implemented to address the problem, the NESDC said. These include addressing the confidence with which physical abuse is tolerated, starting with community members carefully monitoring their son’s use of social advertising. Additionally, culprits may be punished by the government and local communities.

The NESDC even emphasized the need for educational institutions and communities to inform people about their rights, the dangers of online sexual abuse, and the changing nature of online threats. According to the NESDC, educators should teach their students how to protect private information, and education providers should teach them how to handle sexual grooming.