On the occasion of Safer Internet Day on 11 February 2025, Saferinternet.at, Austria's Safer Internet Centre, presented a current study on the topic of sexual harassment online. The results clearly show that sexual harassment on the internet is a sad part of everyday life for many children and young people in Austria. Almost 40 per cent of 11 to 17-year-olds have been confronted with it.

Young people are regularly faced with sexual harassment on the internet  

Suggestive comments, intimate questions or requests to send nude photos: 38 per cent of young people have been confronted with forms of sexual harassment on the internet at least once. A shocking ten per cent say they have been affected often or very often. Even among 11 to 14-year-olds, more than a quarter (28 per cent) have been affected by sexual harassment on the internet. In the older age group, 15 to 17-year-olds, the figure is already 51 per cent. While more than half of young females have had such experiences, around a quarter of young males have been affected. Around half of all respondents (52 per cent) assume that children of primary school age are already affected by sexual harassment online.

Assaults primarily take place on social networks, followed by messengers and online games. It is worrying that almost a third of those surveyed consider sexual harassment on the internet to be normal. Many of the young people surveyed described such experiences as "part of the digital world".

Sexting and nude pictures: A lot of insecurity among young people  

For young people, sharing nude images can be part of their self-determined sexuality. However, this does not always happen voluntarily or consensually. 42 per cent of those surveyed have already noticed that nude photos have been forwarded or published without consent. Five per cent state that they have been affected by this themselves. 14 per cent have already sent nude photos of themselves. When asked, many of those affected are unsure whether the decision was actually voluntary. Some even say that they did not send the images voluntarily.  

Six per cent of respondents state that they have been secretly filmed in an intimate situation, for example during sex, on the toilet or when changing clothes. 65 per cent are of the opinion that children and young people are often blackmailed with nude images - in other words, they are victims of sextortion.

If nude photos are forwarded without the consent of those depicted, this can have serious consequences. Nevertheless, half of children and young people are of the opinion that people who send nude photos of themselves are themselves to blame if they are then passed on. This attitude underlines the need for education and prevention work, as it is always the perpetrators who are to blame for forwarding such images without authorisation. Young people often lack the knowledge about the circumstances under which they are allowed to possess or forward such images themselves.  

The brochure 'Young people and sexuality on the internet: What parents should know about sexting, sextortion and cyber-grooming' clarifies the consequences under criminal law and provides information for those affected as well as preventative measures.

Young people ignore, block and report sexual harassment  

Almost two thirds of respondents react to unpleasant sexual questions by ignoring them, while 57 per cent block the person. 39 per cent stated that they also report people who ask them such questions to the respective platforms. focus groups revealed that young people do not consider this approach to be very effective and have little trust in the reporting procedure. Statements such as "it's no use anyway" illustrate a frequent resignation in dealing with sexual harassment online.

It is not only since the introduction of stricter rules under the Digital Services Act, an EU regulation for standardised liability and safety regulations, that platforms have become aware of their responsibility and are taking action against sexual harassment. It is therefore all the more important that children and young people gain confidence in the reporting function, as this means that reported posts or accounts can be deleted more quickly.

Schools as the key to education  

The need for comprehensive prevention measures is underpinned by the study. Female adolescents in particular, who are more aware of sexual harassment than males, would like to see better education on this topic. 61 per cent would like more information on how they can protect themselves from such assaults, compared to 46 per cent of male respondents. Schools are seen as an important place for education.  

With the help of workshops, open discussions and school social work, concepts, strategies and legal principles relating to sexual harassment should be communicated. In Austria, Saferinternet.at provides support in the form of prevention workshops on online grooming for children and young people as well as numerous information materials. The counselling centre Rat auf Draht offers free online and telephone counselling for children and young people at www.rataufdraht.at or by calling the emergency number 147.

Since last year, the Safer Internet Centre for Digital Child Protection has been supporting professionals who work with children and young people with numerous offers - from tailor-made training courses to materials for creating child protection concepts.

Parents' responsibility for young people's digital lives  

It is crucial that young people learn to recognise dangers at an early stage and protect themselves by recognising their own boundaries and confidently pointing them out. At the same time, adults need to be strengthened as confidants. Only ten per cent of respondents talk to someone about their experiences - it is therefore important that parents recognise that sexuality is also part of their children's lives online. They should take their children seriously and boost their self-confidence so that they are not solely dependent on online approval.

About the study  

The study 'Sexual harassment online' was conducted by the Institute for Youth Culture Research and Cultural Mediation on behalf of the Austrian Institute for Applied Telecommunications (ÖIAT) and ISPA - Internet Service Providers Austria as part of the EU Saferinternet.at initiative. During the survey period (October 2024), 405 young people between the ages of 11 and 17 took part, representative in terms of age, gender and educational background. In addition, 70 young people from four school classes aged between 13 and 19 were interviewed in focus groups. Interviews with experts from counselling centres and academia rounded off the study.

Learn more about Safer Internet Day activities in Austria on their SID page on our platform!

Further information about the Austrian Safer Internet Centre can be found on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) public portal, including links to its national websites and other contact information. Similar information can be found on the BIK portal for all Safer Internet Centres in Europe.