Deepfake technology is relatively new, but gender-based violence and misogyny are not. The Australian Institute of Family Studies estimate that around half of children aged nine and older have been exposed to the harmful effects of porn. I’m a socio-legal scholar who teaches criminology and law students about the experiences of victims. What victims tell us they want over and over is to be heard and believed.
The recent deepfake scandal at Bacchus Marsh Grammar highlighted the ways that emerging and rapidly changing technology enable age old problems in new ways. How do we prepare kids to deal with a digital landscape that accelerates and intensifies the sexual degradation and humiliation of girls and women?
The Albanese government is introducing legislation to further criminalise sharing of deepfake images and materials. Independent Senator David Pocock has criticised this move saying it could have the potential to criminalise and jail children as young as 10. He argues more emphasis needs to be placed on making powerful social media and tech companies responsible for ethical conduct with more stringent safeguards for child users.
This issue is not specific to one school. It is rife throughout secondary education and a permanent threat in the life of teenagers. The problem of responsibility for this issue is complex and multilayered. Outrage and bewilderment at such blatant sexism and abuse of children by children are understandable emotions. Responding with despair and a feeling of defeat against the seemingly insurmountable juggernaut that is the internet is also understandable. But our children need us to act, not be stuck in bewilderment and horrified paralysis.
The Australian Childhood Foundation say this is a national youth health crisis. I teach hundreds of students every year. Each year they tell me they wish their parents knew what was happening when they were at secondary school. The harassment of constantly being sent unwanted ‘dick-pics’. Feeling like they just had to put up with it. They tell me over and over – my parents had no idea. I felt so alone. I didn’t know what to do.
One memorable discussion with students occurred when the topic of revenge porn, and the problem of requests for nudes came up in class. The female students in the room spent about 20 minutes telling me their stories from high school. How violated they felt. How they couldn’t make it stop. How their parents had no clue.
The young men in the room were very quiet. A few bravely hinted they had no idea girls didn’t like being sent unsolicited explicit images. It became clear they didn’t realise it fell into the legal frame of harassment. One young man was quite visibly upset and said he was so glad he’d heard these stories. He said it had been a very sobering thing to learn. How is it that these young men did not know this?
The first thing you can do is talk to your teens. Approach the discussion in a non-judgmental way. Talk to them about digital consent. Talk to them about what to do if they are asked for nudes or sent unwanted images. Talk to them about porn – tell them it is not real and often relies on violence against women. If your child has a device, these are absolutely essential conversations to have. If you can’t broach these topics, don’t give your child a device.
Governments can legislate and schools should educate, but parents play a crucial role in shaping the cultural and moral compass of their children. An uncomfortable conversation with your teen can make a world of difference. Your children need you. Our young women need you to step up and talk to your teens about ethical digital conduct.