Nearly half of young people under the age of 20 in Switzerland have been victims of sexual harassment online or in text messages, according to a study by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in partnership with Swisscom.
The study, conducted every two years, shows that exposure to sexual messages is on the increase.
In 2018, a third of young people surveyed said that they had been the target of sexual messages or images.
Researchers found that a third of adolescents have been encouraged at least once by a stranger to send sexual photos of themselves, with girls over the age of 16 almost twice as likely to be victims as young men.
Michael In Albon, in charge of youth protection at Swisscom, said that schools need to teach pupils how to be safe online but it is also the responsibility of parents to make sure that their children don’t fall prey to sexual predators.
In addition, the study found that not all exposure to sexual images online is unwanted with nearly 80% of people aged 18 and 19 having watched porn on their phone or computer.
Almost 60% of those questioned have received naked or sexual photos and 25% say that they have sent them.
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