As a young woman, I find the re-emergence of Telegram group chats similar to the now defunct SG Nasi Lemak Telegram group to be disappointing but unsurprising (Obscene images of women re-emerge on Telegram, March 31).
Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) is a type of sexual violence whereby digital communications technology, such as social media, messaging platforms and digital cameras, are used to perpetrate sexual harassment.
These behaviours include filming voyeuristic pictures and videos, distributing sexual images, cyber harassment and more.
The rise of TFSV cases has been troubling, to say the least, for young women like me.
They are a constant reminder of the gender-based sexual harassment and violence that we may be experiencing even without our knowledge.
This feeling of dread is exacerbated by statistics from the Association of Women for Action and Research's Sexual Assault Care Centre, where TFSV cases have risen from 13.9 per cent to 18 per cent of the total cases from 2016 to 2019.
Minister of State for Education and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling said in December last year that the Ministry of Education plans to introduce a refreshed character and citizenship education curriculum with a greater emphasis on moral values and cyber wellness.
Thus, I hope to see sexuality education that is consent-based and gender-focused, one that includes topics on healthy relationships, boundaries and bystander intervention, and that nurtures positive values around sexual and reproductive health.
Sexuality education should also address pornography: How it can perpetuate rape myths such as "no means yes" and objectify women.
With pornography being so easily accessible today, it is no wonder that many perpetrators feel entitled to sexualise women without their consent on Telegram.
Additionally, students should be provided with accessible resources should they experience TFSV or any other forms of sexual harassment.
Instead of fostering a culture that blames survivors or pressures them to dress or behave in a certain way so as to not "attract bad attention", we should work towards a society in which people actively seek consent from each other, respect others' sexual boundaries and take an active stance against sexual harassment and violence.
Danesha Muhammad Shah R. Albert
