Crisis Spilling over Cyberspace
*All of the names have been changed for safety reason
Domestic Violence against women has gradually infiltrated into cyberspace amidst the pandemic, turning the internet from a lifeline into a hostile space.
The cases of online violence against women and girls have also increased according to UN Women’s report in April 2020. Image-based sexual violence, or online violence, is performed in the form of physical threats, sexual harassment, taking, circulating and selling intimate images without consent, stalking, zoombombing and sex trolling.
Shortly after the Korea “nth rooms case” came to light, similar Telegram groups were also found in Hong Kong by local news organisation HK01 on April 3, 2020. The group chats’ operation is similar to those in Korea's nth rooms case, it allows members to share pornographic images of their wives and girlfriends.
A survey conducted by the Association of Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women in 2020 revealed that 73% of the 206 respondents said they had experienced being a victim of image-based sexual violence, and more than half of them said the perpetrators were people they know.
The local news organisation has also disclosed LIHKSNAP.com, one of the many websites that explicitly sell high-definition upskirt photos. And yet, the website still continues running with currently more than 40,000 members.
Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) has also conducted a survey in February 2021 with 450 responses, 7% of the respondents revealed that they have experienced image-based sexual violence. YWCA expressed concerns over the ubiquitous of image-based sexual violence as more than half of them are victims of upskirting and around 25% were threatened to publish their intimate photos.
Both surveys from the concern groups pointed out that there are victims who considered or attempted to conduct. From the survey, YWCA inferred that it is because victims would put the blame on themselves, which would cause them a lot of pressure.
To boost awareness towards the danger of Image-based sexual violence, YWCA have launched the two-day “I-watching” exhibition in WanChai on March 27 to 28. The concerned group introduced the characteristics of image-based sexual violence to the participants via game booths.
