At an age when they should be flourishing, adolescent girls face some of the greatest risks of digital violence.
The social and emotional development of adolescents increasingly takes place in the virtual world, yet online spaces are rife with gender bias and misogyny that can fuel violence and inflict lasting mental harm on girls.
The sharing of intimate images has become part of many romantic relationships at all ages, including adolescence. Such images often become tools of intimate partner violence, used to blackmail, extort and control girls. Many girls say they expect to experience harassment online, a situation likely to worsen as artificial intelligence enables new forms of harm, such as chatbots that promote isolation from real-world friends and caretakers.
As we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we must unite to end digital violence against girls and women.
Governments and tech companies must regulate the technology design and data collection systems that drive social media business models, to prevent the spread of misogyny and discrimination. Parents, guardians and teachers must be educated about online safety and should engage with adolescents – both girls and boys – to build critical thinking skills around online content, consent and respectful relationships. Embedding digital literacy and online safety education in schools and youth programmes will equip adolescents to know their rights and challenge discrimination and violence.
UNFPA knows that the virtual is real. We must all come together to make the online world a safe space for girls.
