Survey: Most Taiwanese have experienced digital sexual violence

Taipei, July 16 (CNA) – Nearly 60 percent of Taiwan’s population has been victims of digital sexual violence, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said in a report released Tuesday with the results of its first survey on the subject.

According to a survey on digital sexual violence among 18- to 74-year-olds in Taiwan, those aged 30 to 39 were the most common victims: 71 percent of them said they had been affected at some point.

The survey also found that young gay men were the target group most frequently targeted for assault.

Wang Pei-ling (王珮玲), professor of social policy and social work at National Chi Nan University, said 47.4 percent of respondents had experienced digital gender-based violence in the past year and 59.4 percent had been victims of such violence at some point in their lives after the age of 15.

48.5 percent of those surveyed said they had experienced various forms of digital gender-based violence that amounted to “harassment” in their lives.

According to Wang, this was followed by “humiliation and attacks” (26 percent), “stalking or doxing” (21.8 percent), “control or restriction of expression” (11.7 percent) and “sexual violence based on images” (10.4 percent).

It found that 71 percent of respondents aged 30 to 39 had experienced abuse in their lifetime – the highest rate – while the lowest rate (43.6 percent) was recorded in the 65 to 74 age group.

The survey found that heterosexual male victims are the least likely to seek help: only 26.3 percent of victims sought help after their last abuse incident, followed by non-heterosexual men with around 42 percent.

As part of the research for the report, in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 victims, including seven gay men.

Associate Professor Fang Nien-hsuan (方念萱) from the Department of Journalism at the College of Communication at National Chengchi University stressed that some people were filmed unknowingly, for example with a “cat camera.”

These victims find it difficult to seek help. They cannot voice their concerns during the abuse, have had negative experiences with the police, fear being outed as gay, do not know how to seek help and encounter a lack of empathy from society.

Lin Jui-hsuan (林芮璿), a social worker at the Taiwan Association for the Wellbeing of Children and Adolescents, said victims of digital gender-based violence need long-term psychological recovery and continuous support.

Lin stressed that a more open-minded attitude is needed to combat the problem and called for more respect for bodily autonomy.

The survey was conducted from October 14 to November 10, 2023 and collected 5,030 samples from people aged 18 to 74 through social media platforms such as Facebook, Dcard, PTT, Instagram and LINE.