Violence Through a Virtual Lens by Jermaine Herrera
“I never knew it was wrong. I just thought we were having a show.” These words mirror the looming gender-based-violence against innocent girls within their own homes through the power of the internet. According to UNICEF (2016), the Philippines is considered as the “global epicenter” of live-stream sexual abuse trade, mostly impacting women and girls. This issue is further aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic as the quarantine measures trap the victims with their abusers. Oddly enough, the reported cases of abuse against women declined amidst the onset of the pandemic (Ranada, 2020). However, this only indicates the amplifying silence of oppressed women caused by a mere webcam.
Locally termed as a “show”, cyber-sex trafficking involves the live-streaming of sexual abuse initiated by sex predators abroad in exchange for money. The victims are dictated to perform sexual actions on themselves, pose sensually, or initiate sexual contact with another victim. Various dating sites and chat rooms are utilized, but peer-to-peer (P2P) mobile applications are most convenient as they effectively mask the damages by directly sharing the live-stream without passing a server. Thus, few offenders are caught, and harassment occurs undetected. Moreover, molesters recruit young girls through their trusted guardians by luring them with high compensations, making this crime a popular family business amongst the underprivileged (Promchertchoo, 2021).
As the Philippines suffers from the longest lockdown in the world, a collapsing economy, and heightened unemployment during the pandemic, millions of Filipinos have thrust down the poverty line, further insinuating the idea of violence towards girls for the sake of financial survival. Aside from the country’s easy access to the internet and Filipinos’ English proficiency, poverty is one of the main drivers for live-streaming sexual abuse as desperate times call for desperate measures. Amazing Grace Salitrero, a social worker caring for female sexual assault survivors, revealed that one girl’s aunt would encourage her to engage in cybersex by saying “This is how you can help us get food and milk, help your younger cousins, providing for us to survive”. Despite raising the issue to her parents, their lack of financial capacity outweighed her desire to protect her dignity. Furthermore, online sexual violence may draw $100 per show as compared to a minimum-wage job that would only offer $5.70 to $10.61 a day (Payne, 2020). Given these odds, it is highly likely that one would succumb to letting girls perform lewd acts just to afford necessities.
The toxicity of online sexual abuse mainly worsens mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts among Filipinas. Women’s self-esteem may also lower as they start to question their purpose in life after a prolonged duration of selling their bodies to perpetrators. Since younger girls lack the maturity to comprehend such experiences, they may undergo severe emotional damages. Additionally, they may lose connections with their family members who forcibly allowed such violence to occur. They may feel guilty for the conviction of their loved ones while also struggling to find forgiveness in their hearts. Despite having similar experiences, each survivor has one’s fair share of pain that takes gradual recovery processes to heal.
Though this issue is no easy feat, the Philippines and foreign countries with countless sexual abuse cases may turn the tables by improving the task force on the online sex trade. Crime specialists from all over the world must collaborate and openly communicate to identify patterns of suspicious online activities to track down perpetrators faster. Moreover, campaigns must be established to educate parents and children on the hazards of cybersex. These advocacies can also guide women to quick access to emergency hotlines and related organizations to uplift the voices of the once oppressed. Finally, more rehabilitation centers must be established to aid victims to regain stable mental health.
Behind the benefits of accessible online accommodations during the pandemic, dangerous pedophiles targeting penurious women and girls in the Philippines lurk in the shadows. Girls as young as new-born babies can be victims of cyber-sex and the worst part is, they are clueless about the immorality of these actions. Young girls believe they are just putting on a show or playing games when in reality they are subjecting themselves to horrendous abuse and violation of human rights. In this “game” of online sexual harassment, society has a choice: to let online sex predators claim victory in every match, or to rigorously fight for the elimination of sexual violence against women and girls to secure fair play in this realm of competition among genders.