February 4, 2025

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), observed annually in April, is dedicated to raising public consciousness and enhancing educational initiatives aimed at combating sexual violence. While significant progress has been made in addressing physical forms of sexual assault, the rapid rise of technology and digital platforms has led to a new frontier: technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV). TFSV encompasses a broad range of harmful and aggressive sexual behaviours perpetrated through information and communication technologies. TFSV disproportionately affects marginalised groups, particularly women and gender-nonconforming individuals, highlighting the digital harms these communities face daily. In ‘Mapping Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence in Singapore’ (Research Handbook on Social Media and Society, 2024), Dr. Shivani Gupta (NUS College), Francis Luis Medado Torres, Sharon Yvette Xiomara Rosamor ‘n Doen (both NUS Communications and New Media), Associate Professor Jungup Lee (NUS Social Work), Associate Professor Bimlesh Wadhwa (NUS Computing), and Assistant Professor Michelle Ho (NUS Communications and New Media) delve into this issue within the context of digitally advanced Singapore.

Employing feminist methodology—grounded in the lived experiences of women and privileging their perspectives—alongside digital ethnography, the authors examined TFSV as a pervasive and socially harmful discourse. The study focused primarily on social media, text, and video-based platforms, enabling the researchers to trace and observe digital data while avoiding the re-traumatization of TFSV victims-survivors. For example, online participant observation was conducted on platforms like Reddit, Instagram, and NUSWhispers, a blog commissioned by NUS undergraduates for anonymous discussions about university issues. This approach allowed the authors to gain deeper insights into public and sexual violence survivors’ perceptions of TFSV, while maintaining anonymity, and to explore how ideologies and cultural norms shape these perceptions. Key cases analysed included Monica Baey’s experience with voyeurism and the SG Nasi Lemak Telegram group, which shared explicit pictures of women.

In parallel with online observation, the authors conducted digital interviews with victims-survivors, enhancing security by allowing interviewees to switch off their videos, thereby minimising the risk of recognition and re-traumatisation. The digital format also enabled interviewees to articulate their understanding of TFSV with immediate access to the internet and social media, allowing them to illustrate their experiences with screenshots and data. These interviews revealed the everyday nature of TFSV and the persistent fear of being unable to erase digital traces, underscoring the long-lasting impact of such virtual misdemeanours.

The authors conclude by emphasising the alarming rise of TFSV cases in Singapore, highlighting the urgent need to bring this issue into mainstream discussion and recognize it with the same seriousness as non-digital forms of sexual violence. They stress the importance of scholars respecting the sensitivity of these cases and incorporating appropriate methods to prevent further harm to victims-survivors.

Read the chapter here.