FHNW - School of Social Work: Children and Adolescents are also Victims of Digital Sexualised Violence

Very often, women are victims of this form of violence, but children and adolescents are not spared either. In recent years, the Institute for Child and Youth Welfare at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW has implemented various research projects on the topic. The fact that digital violence also includes children and adolescents has been repeatedly confirmed by the co-head of the institute, Prof. Dr. Rahel Heeg: 'The topic is intertwined with the everyday life of children and adolescents - it is diverse and extensive and occupies a large space.'

Digital sexualised violence is an everyday reality for children and adolescents. The fact that their lives also take place in the digital space is a daily reality for the young. The issue of violence occupies a significant space. Children and adolescents need guidance and assistance, knows Rahel Heeg: 'One of the great challenges for adolescents is clarifying for themselves what still belongs to everyday teasing and where the line to the unacceptable lies. This boundary is not clear - it is always different depending on the relationship, situation, and audience.' For example, a young woman reported that a photo of hers was overlaid with moaning noises and circulated. She was unsure: Was it still funny, even though it didn't feel amusing? She had no proper means to classify her bad feeling. Only the shocked reaction of her mother brought clarification for the young woman.

The different perceptions of adults and adolescents in dealing with sexuality make the situation doubly difficult: While adults, for example, warn against sending nude photos, such images are often a token of trust among adolescents, reports Rahel Heeg.

To all the uncertainty is added the shame of speaking about sexuality, knows Rahel Heeg. In digital sexualised violence, the shame is particularly pronounced; especially children and adolescents feel particularly burdened with guilt when sexualised material about them circulates: 'Even when adults know a lot about the incidents, there can be another boundary where the shame is so great that adolescents cannot talk about it. And then, of course, they cannot ask for support.' When it also happens that digital abuse becomes widely accessible, such as through publication on photo or video platforms, the situation becomes practically uncontrollable. Children and adolescents face a terrible situation for them, which can have serious negative effects on their well-being and lead to a serious threat.

In this situation, children and adolescents urgently need protection and support. What kind of support they currently receive within the child protection system is little known: There are currently no findings about how children and adolescents access support or whether they possibly encounter obstacles, such as trivialisation during the reporting process or cases of victim-blaming.

To close this gap, the Institute for Child and Youth Welfare at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW is conducting the study 'Child Protection and Professionalised Support in Cases of Sexualised Online Violence in Switzerland', with which awareness of the topic is to be sharpened and support options for the affected children and adolescents are to be improved. A need for action is foreseeable, summarises Rahel Heeg the previous findings: 'When it is difficult to talk about digital sexualised violence, and you feel guilty for what happened, you can hardly ask for support. The easier it is to talk about it, and the less guilty you feel, the more likely you can actively seek support.'

Contact

University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
School of Social Work
Prof. Dr. Rahel Heeg
Co-Head Institute for Child and Youth Welfare
Hofackerstrasse 30
4132 Muttenz
T +41 61 228 59 57
rahel.heeg@fhnw.ch
www.fhnw.ch/socialwork

The University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW

The School of Social Work FHNW with campuses in Olten and Muttenz is locally and regionally anchored, internationally connected and widely recognized for its achievements in education, research, and services. In its research and development focus 'Social Innovation', it analyses, initiates, and guides innovation processes in cooperation and exchange with practice. It thus promotes the professionalisation of Social Work and significantly contributes to the understanding and innovative handling of social problems and societal challenges.

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