By Xenia Low, AWARE Intern

A session discussing revenge pornography was held at the AWARE centre on 27 June.
The session opened with a short introduction by Ethel, an ex-AWARE intern and current AWARE volunteer, defining the terms and parameters of revenge porn, or more accurately technologically-facilitated sexual harassment. This term encompasses a much broader range of sexual harassment online.

Sharing
One of the panelists, Gia, shared her experience of discovering edited photos of herself on a Tumblr blog with pornographic content when she was 16. In the photos, she was dressed in her school’s team uniform, but her chest had been digitally enlarged, and the photos were accompanied by a lewd caption. This was followed by many unwanted friend requests and even a stalking incident when she was going home at night. Although her perpetrator ultimately issued a public apology to her, she was left traumatised by the incident.

Ashley, the other panelist, concluded the event with a speech written by her, focusing on the need for a more open discussion about sex, consent, sexual harassment, sexual assault and other similar topics. She mentioned that sex education should also discuss consent and the importance of seeking consent as part of a respectful, healthy relationship, emphasising that it was important for youths to know their rights and recognise their boundaries, so that they will feel empowered to speak up when these rights are violated.

Discussion
Mini discussions were held at intervals between each sharing. During the introduction, everyone shared about their experiences – either as a survivor or witnessing a friend or family member being sexually harassed. This involved situations like upskirting, groping, and the release of their personal pictures and videos without their consent. The honest sharings of everyone present made for a very open and comfortable discussion and talk with empathy and without judgement.

After Gia’s sharing, discussion was open to the floor once again to reflect on what was shared. A parent in the audience mentioned that it is important for more parents to be aware of blogs and sites sharing non-consensual pictures (through stealing photos off instagram and other social media platforms), so that they can educate their children that it’s not right to share the pictures and that their pictures should not be shared without their consent. One of the youths at the event also shared that whilst listening to these sharings may be scary, there is a necessity for there to be more open discussions and platforms where important issues could be talked about.

Another parent also acknowledged the role of technology in the sharing of such images and what was considered sexual harassment. Although some did not agree with what was said, the rebuttals and disagreements were polite and mainly facilitated the discourse going on that day.

Overall, the diverse opinions shared provided food for thought and allowed for a more meaningful exchange of ideas during the event.

With the proliferation of internet technology which has made information accessible and powerful, it is important to take a strong stance against technologically-assisted sexual harassment.