Veronica Bardsley
04 December 2024, 10:00 PM
A new report from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) reveals that over half (54%) of young Australians aged 16 to 19 experienced sexual harassment in the past 12 months. Unfortunately, these findings are unlikely to surprise anyone.
The research is based on data from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), which has been tracking 10,000 children since 2004. Managed by AIFS on behalf of the Department of Social Services, LSAC is the largest and longest-running study of Australian children.
Sexual harassment is defined by the study as including unwanted touching or grabbing, sexual remarks, and showing explicit images. It is when a person behaves in a sexual manner that is unwelcome, making another person feel intimidated, uncomfortable, degraded, humiliated, or offended.
The study found that young females are more likely to experience sexual harassment (65%) compared to young males (43%). For females, harassment is mostly perpetrated by strangers, while for males, it is more likely to come from friends.
The report also highlights that LGBTQ+ individuals are at a higher risk of sexual harassment than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. Among LGBTQ+ members aged 18-19, 49% reported experiencing harassment, compared to 31% of non-LGBTQ+ people. The proportion was even higher for LGBTQ+ females aged 18-19, with 59% reporting harassment.
The study examined where harassment occurred, finding that 48% of 18–19-year-olds who had been harassed in the last 12 months reported it happening at a bar, club, or party. Other common locations included online (27%), at work (18%), and at a place of study (12%). Disturbingly, 40% of 16-17 year-olds experienced sexual harassment at school or university.
Dr Neha Swami, lead author and Research Fellow at AIFS, said the findings indicate the need for stronger measures to prevent sexual harassment, especially online and in public spaces.
"Of the older teens we surveyed who had experienced sexual harassment, 53% of females and 39% of males experienced it at a party, club or bar – showing many young people have extremely negative experiences when trying to enjoy themselves on a night out," Dr Swami said.
“Given more than one-quarter of young people experienced sexual harassment online, programmes and policies that support healthy interactions online – making it clear that certain comments and images can make people feel degraded and humiliated – could help.
“Strong mechanisms for reporting and responding to harassing behaviours in bars and clubs could also be a focus for helping reduce rates,” Dr Swami said.
The report also found a significant link between social media use and sexual harassment. Among those who posted or shared content on social media several times a day, 53% of females and 33% of males reported experiencing harassment in the past 12 months. In contrast, only 35% of females and 17% of males who posted or shared on social media once a month or less faced similar experiences.
"Sharing content on social media shouldn’t increase a young person’s risk of sexual harassment. That is a clear signal to governments and social media companies that more needs to be done to prevent perpetration and protect teens online," Dr Swami said.
The study also suggests that fostering healthy relationships with family and peers may help reduce the likelihood of experiencing sexual harassment later in life.
“While sexual harassment is always the fault of the perpetrator, programmes that help adolescents foster healthy relationships with parents and peers at ages 16-17 years may help to reduce the likelihood of them experiencing sexual harassment later on,” Dr Swami said.
“As a parent, building a strong, trusting relationship with your child when they’re young, and nurturing that all the way through to early adulthood could be highly beneficial.”
However, it's important to recognise that not all young people have access to such support systems. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 17% of young males and 15% of young females aged 15-24 reported feeling lonely in 2022.
The findings from this study provide strong evidence to inform the development of policies and programmes to address sexual harassment. Dr Swami believes that stronger mechanisms for reporting harassment in public spaces like bars and clubs could help reduce rates of sexual harassment.
“We also need to support young people in navigating online spaces in a way that promotes respect and safety,” she said. “There needs to be a clear message that sexual harassment in any form, whether in person or online, is unacceptable.”
With upcoming changes to age restrictions on social media, it will be interesting to see whether these statistics will shift and whether social media companies can enforce these new rules effectively. The study represents the first Australian evidence from a nationally representative sample on the experience and nature of sexual harassment
among young people, including those under 18 years old.
The findings show the urgency of taking a comprehensive approach to tackling sexual harassment, both online and offline, and the critical role of public policy, community support, and individual responsibility in addressing this issue.
NEWS