PERCEIVED SEVERITY OF ONLINE HARMS
Unlike the recent MDDI survey, which highlighted the prevalence of online harms, the authors said this study focused on the perceived severity of such harms.
In the final phase of the study, participants had to assess a total of 16 online harms in a survey.
These excluded “top-of-mind” harms such as scams and cyber crime, child sexual exploitation and abuse, violent or terrorism-related content and content supporting vice and organised crime, which were discussed in earlier phases of the study.
The remaining harms were broken down into finer categories to broaden the understanding of the harms.
These nuances are important to understand the pathways of relief for victims, said Dr Chew.
Of the remaining online harms, non-consensual sexual content was ranked highest in terms of perceived relative severity across all age groups and genders.
During in-depth interviews, participants said that threats to the release of private images are a form of domestic violence that often goes under-recognised, which can often continue even after physical separation.
The promotion of dangerous behaviours, such as self-harm, suicide and eating disorders, was ranked second in perceived severity. Targeted harassment was ranked third on the list.
False statements about an individual, hate speech against groups outside of Singapore and online statements instigating harm, such as starting a cancel campaign, were ranked lowest on the list.
Researchers found that the perception of severity differed across different demographics. For example, consensual sexual content was ranked fifth overall. However, females and middle-aged respondents perceived it as more severe, while older respondents ranked it as less severe.
In judging the seriousness of an online harm, three in four respondents rated harm to individuals and the vulnerability of potential victims as very or extremely important factors.
