The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) of Thailand claims that children and young people are being severely impacted by the growing menace of sexual harassment on social media.

The NESDC stated in its latest social perspective report that those who experience sexual harassment on social media run the risk of experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Because of the traumas they have experienced, in certain situations, they even commit crimes. A group connected to Unicef, ECPAT International, named Thailand one of the 25 nations with concerning rates of cyberbullying against minors. Statistics from the Royal Thai Police indicate a high rise in child sexual abuse cases, from 48 in 2017 to 540 last year, which is consistent with this evidence.

The NESDC has classified online sexual harassment of minors into three categories. Perpetrators of low-level harassment frequently fail to see the harm in their activities. At this stage, harassers target their victims with vague remarks, like when they make sexually suggestive remarks about school-age children or express a sexual attraction to young girls.

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The repeated acts intended to cause victims mental distress are the focal point of the moderate level. It frequently entails incremental invasions of privacy, attempts to degrade and humiliate victims, and continuous pestering.
Pervasive intimidation

Violent and aggressive acts that cause emotional and psychological harm are part of the severe/high level. Sexual abuse statutes have been flagrantly violated by harassment on this scale. Instances include enticing young individuals into love connections and pressuring them into sexual behaviors, secretly filming these acts, and taking advantage of the victims by charging others to watch the tapes.

Many young people may not know how to receive help if they or their peers face online sexual assault, according to a 2022 Unicef report. According to the NESDC, there is an under-reporting of these crimes since some people do not consider themselves victims, while others are too shy to disclose it.

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The NESDC stated that actions needed to be taken to solve the issue. Among them is dealing with the problem of complacency with sexual harassment, beginning with parents constantly supervising their kids’ social media use. Communities and the government should both implement policies that penalize offenders.

The NESDC also emphasized the importance of educating people about their rights, the dangers of sexual harassment online, and the dynamic nature of online threats through education providers and communities. The NESDC recommended that families teach their kids to preserve personal information and that educators include teachings on how to cope with sexual grooming in their curricula.