Home Front: When teens live in a hypersexualised world

Teens may shrug off sexually explicit words or images received, or sent, as 'normal'. Parents and schools need to send the opposite message: It is wrong, and illegal, to send such material.

ST ILLUSTRATION: MIEL
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While researching background for an article I was working on earlier this month, I stumbled on several teenage girls' Twitter accounts in Singapore.

At least 15 of them claimed that they had been sexually harassed or assaulted in recent years. Not all of them made police reports. Many said they found the courage to speak up after they saw friends and acquaintances do the same.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 25, 2020, with the headline Home Front: When teens live in a hypersexualised world. Subscribe