Sexual harassment knows no gender: 235 male victims in latest statistics

SHAH ALAM - A total of 235 individuals, or 23.2 per cent of the 1,012 sexual harassment victims, are males.

These statistics emerged from the Stop Social Support Centres (PSSS) inventory under the National Welfare Foundation (YKN) during the 11-series Programme Jerayawara Kasih KPWKM Advocacy Against Sexual Harassment.

"Sexual harassment is indiscriminate, affecting any individual regardless of gender, age, race, or religion.

"Even vulnerable demographics, such as children, are not exempt," Women, Family, and Community Development (KPWKM) deputy minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said during the programme's inauguration in Kuala Lumpur.

She further highlighted a concerning statistic from a 2021 Unicef Malaysia report: at least 4 per cent of children between the ages of 12 and 17 who are online have encountered explicit threats of exploitation and sexual abuse.

"These threats range from coercion into sexual activities and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images to being enticed into sexual acts with offers of money or gifts," she added.

"Nevertheless, the lion's share of these cases predominantly features female victims, with 354 cases in 2020, 446 in 2021, and 416 in 2022.

"This indicates that over 90 per cent of sexual harassment incidents annually target women," she stressed.