Quebec, like the rest of Canada, is lagging behind in preventing and protecting children from online sexual violence, the form of which is changing as fast as technologies. Few data make it possible to quantify this phenomenon of cyberviolence among adolescents, yet qualified as a “scourge”.
Researchers Christopher Dietzel, from McGill University, and Kaitlynn Mendes, from Western University, are trying to paint a picture for the first time in Canada of the violence suffered by young people aged 13 to 18. In their study, still in its preliminary stages, they reviewed educational policies and school programs at the secondary level across the country. Their conclusion: legislation on cyberbullying is obsolete.
The term “cyberbullying” — found in the laws of twelve provinces and territories, including Quebec — is even outdated, says Christopher Dietzel. A catch-all word which, according to him, masks the extent and the seriousness of the violence that a young person can suffer.
““Cyberbullying” is a term born twenty years ago. Since then, technologies have evolved, and we are not only talking about bullying, but also about harassment and other harmful behaviours. »
He cites, among other examples, cyberexhibitionism (such as dick peak “), malicious disclosure of personal information (doxing) or video trickery (deepfake). All this violence can take place on different platforms such as messaging, social networks, cell phones…
With new technologies, the courts are facing unprecedented cases of cyberviolence. Recently, a man from Sherbrooke was sentenced to eight years in prison after having fabricated, using deep fakery, thousands of child pornography content from banal photos of children found on social networks.
To illustrate the extent of the phenomenon and to insist on the fact that this violence extends beyond the virtual world, researchers Dietzel and Mendes argue for the use of the term technology-facilitated sexual violence (TSVF), both in provincial policies than in school curricula.
Difficult to identify
Beyond a change of language, Christopher Dietzel wishes to recall that the use of technology in a context of sexual violence can mask the presence of criminal or illegal acts.
“One wonders if adults and young people know what is serious, what is criminal in all this and where they can turn for help. It’s quite complex,” says Karine Baril, professor in the Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology at the Université du Québec en Outaouais.
Prevention with adolescents is also complicated by the rapid development of technologies. “It’s going fast, you have to adapt the content. I work in the field of sexual violence, and I have a little difficulty keeping up to date,” admits the professor, who has already studied the prevention of sexual assault in academia.
And yet, the 13-18 age group today constitutes “a favorable cocktail” for this online violence. “Young people have a very high consumption of technology and they are in the adolescent period where, particularly at the sexual level, there is a search for identity, experimentation and a great need to be part of a group”, explains Ms.me Barrel.
Lack of data
But how many young Canadians experience cyberbullying? There is little data on the subject, according to Christopher Dietzel. “The figures we have often come from other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the United States or Australia. »
Cybertip, a Canadian program that receives reports of child sexual abuse on the Internet, however, noted a 36% increase in child abuse last year.
At the Quebec level, specific statistics are also lacking, confirms Karine Baril, who also highlights the work of the Marie-Vincent Foundation and its research chair.
In 2021, the interuniversity group specializing in child sexual abuse interviewed 850 high school students in Quebec. Nearly 1 in 5 teens reported having received an intimate image circulating without the person’s permission, and about 36% of teenage girls said they had ever been asked for a nude or sexual photo. The Foundation describes cyberviolence as a “scourge that continues to grow in Quebec”.
Even if the extent of the phenomenon is poorly quantified, the psychological consequences can prove to be very real for these young victims. If a person sees their intimate photos circulating against their will, they may feel humiliation, guilt, have suicidal thoughts or depressive symptoms, which are found in many victims of sexual assault, details Karine Baril.
To probe the concerns and needs of adolescents, researchers Dietzel and Mendes will continue their study this summer with interviews with 200 young people across Canada. They are also presenting their preliminary results at the Congress of the Humanities, which is taking place this week in Toronto. “Our goal is to build policies, school programs and resources that are adapted to them so that they grow up in safety,” explains Christopher Dietzel.
Karine Baril deplores the “difficult” implementation of the new sexuality education program, which contains the prevention of abuse, at the primary and secondary levels in Quebec. The psychoeducation specialist pleads for training on cyberviolence to be aimed as much at young people as at “all the adults who intervene with them because they have a role to play”.