While previous research in the area of cyberbullying (or online harassment) has highlighted important issues for prevention (e.g., the need for friendships and strong social networks), there is little evidence available on the specific risk factors of online sexual harassment or exploitation. Such negative experiences are far reaching and some examples of what they entail include unwillingly receiving images of a sexual nature or having personal images shared online without one’s consent. Research is also limited on the role of gender in these experiences and in the effect they can have on a victim’s mental health. As such, the current project aims to conduct a large-scale cross-sectional study of the prevalence of online sexual harassment and exploitation in teenagers in Sweden and Ireland, with particular attention to gender and psychological outcome. This data will be collected with the help of a Swedish NGO called Friends. The work plan and research objectives falls under the umbrella of the Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the United Nations Agenda 2030. Academics and NGOs working with victims of sexual harassment and exploitation will benefit significantly from the results and reccommendations of this project.

Funding Source: The Irish Research Council Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme entitled CAROLINE.

Funding Amount: €234,694

Researchers: Dr Mairéad Foody, Magnus Loftsson, Prof James O’Higgins Norman, Beatrice Sciacca