Malang, December 6, 2023. The UMM Government Science Student Association (HIMAP) once again held a discussion activity through the Debate's Community forum in the eleventh week. This activity, which is routinely held once a week, aims to foster students' critical thinking. The discussion activity was attended by Government Science students from the 2022 and 2023 intakes.
Acting as a discussion starter, namely a group of presenters from the class of 2022 totaling seven people. The theme discussed in this discussion was entitled "Power, Commodities and Sexual Harassment on Social Media". The theme was chosen to examine the reality of sexual harassment that occurs on social media, especially the phenomenon of women as victims.
The meeting, which discussed sexual harassment on social media, was technically in the form of a discussion and two-way communication activity between the moderator and the audience. In the forum, the moderator delivered material and arguments that would then be discussed.
“The dynamics of power and sexuality are closely linked in our society. Throughout history, power imbalances have been seen in various forms, such as the strong versus the weak. In this case, women are referred to as commodities or objects of sexual harassment, including on social media,” explained the trigger.
Through this discussion forum, arguments were built from students with the conclusion that the digital era has introduced a new dimension in sexual harassment, especially through social media. Cybercrime, including cybersex and cyber child pornography, has emerged as a serious problem. Sexual harassment is no longer limited to the physical world, but has found a new platform online. The victims, who are predominantly women, experience unwanted actions, explicit messages and exploitation through various social media channels.
Regarding how to overcome sexual harassment on social media, this is a shared task and requires efforts from all parties. Both in terms of education, awareness, strict regulations and support for victims are some steps that can help reduce incidents of sexual harassment on social media. Reporting sexual harassment must be simplified and made easier, and all privacy must be maintained. (van/roz)
