Paper Examines Sexual Harassment of Women and Children in the Digital Era

INDONESIA, 25 October 2026 – An unpublished research paper by communication researcher Riza Mahardika, S.Sos., M.Med.Kom., examines sexual harassment as a criminal act that often targets women and children, and how the shift to digital platforms has created new spaces where it takes place. The paper, "Pelecehan Seksual terhadap Perempuan dan Anak di Era Media Sosial: Perspektif Komunikasi dan Hukum Pidana" (Sexual Harassment of Women and Children in the Social Media Era: A Communication and Criminal Law Perspective), is based on research conducted in 2021 and is being shared publicly for the first time.

The paper describes sexual harassment as a long-standing social problem, and notes that cases involving women draw wide public attention, with news coverage updated almost daily on television, in print and on social media. Smartphone platforms and apps, it argues, have added new spaces for teenagers that can expose them to becoming victims, and in some cases the media itself also takes part in violence.

Violence, the paper stresses, is not limited to shootings, beatings or bloodshed. It defines violence as any attack that hurts a person, whether verbal or non-verbal, and whether carried out directly or indirectly. One form that often draws attention is Gender-Based Violence (Kekerasan Berbasis Gender, KBG). The author argues that protecting victims of sexual violence deserves continued attention, because it involves not only offering protection but also understanding the factors that cause the crime.

Citing Feryna and Fadhil (2018), the paper notes that interaction on social media is similar to face-to-face interaction, with its own rules and norms, such as age limits for creating an account. Yet the ease of use offered by online apps is often misused, for example by underage users who open accounts and by individuals who create accounts with bad intentions. The paper links this to weak quality of social media use and a rise in cybercrime such as bullying, fraud and sexual harassment.

The paper defines sexual harassment as unwanted sexual behaviour that can be committed by anyone and can happen anywhere, including on social media. As an example, it points to a case that went viral in 2019, in which an online motorcycle taxi (ojol) driver sexually harassed one of his passengers.

"Sexual harassment does not stop at the screen. Social media has rules and norms just like face-to-face interaction, but when they are misused, women and children become victims," said Riza Mahardika, S.Sos., M.Med.Kom., communication researcher. "Protecting victims is not enough on its own. We also need to understand why these crimes happen in the first place."

Notes to editors

About the paper: "Pelecehan Seksual terhadap Perempuan dan Anak di Era Media Sosial: Perspektif Komunikasi dan Hukum Pidana" is an unpublished research paper by Riza Mahardika, written in Indonesian and based on research conducted in 2021. It discusses criminal law, sexual harassment and gender-based violence against women and children in the digital era.

About Riza Mahardika: Riza Mahardika, S.Sos., M.Med.Kom., is a communication researcher and digital strategist, and the founder of RizaHub (https://rizahub.com).

Media Contact

Riza Mahardika, S.Sos., M.Med.Kom.
Email: magisteriza@gmail.com
Website: https://rizahub.com