Mapping the margins of digital harm: Intersectional pathways in Swiss adolescents’ experiences of online sexual harassment and abuse

Lukas Eggenberger (Psychiatric University Hospital Zürich and Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development), Michelle Tanja Loher (Psychologisches Institut), Andreas Baumer (Institute of Implementation Science in Health Care) 

Digital spaces are now central to adolescent social development, but they also expose young people to alarming rates of online sexual harassment and abuse. In Switzerland, unwanted online sexual contact by strangers rose from 19% in 2014 to 47% in 2022. While these experiences have serious consequences for psychological well-being and development, most research focuses on individual risk factors, such as gender, age, or media use, in isolation. In contrast, intersectionality theory recognizes that harm often arises from overlapping vulnerabilities, resulting in unique patterns of risk and marginalization.

At the same time, young people often struggle to recognize certain behaviors online as abusive, particularly when perceived as normative interactions. These definitional ambiguities, combined with stigma and inaccessible reporting pathways, create significant barriers to seeking help. Understanding how to better support adolescents is therefore essential.

This project aims to identify who is at disproportionate risk of online sexual harassment and abuse, and to determine how to better support them. To do so, we will use a mixed-methods approach:

·      Quantitative: Using data from the Zurich Youth Survey (ZYS; N~4,500), representative of adolescents aged 13-19 in the canton of Zurich, we will apply intersectional quantitative methods (MAIHDA) to identify which combinations of risk factors place adolescents at disproportionate risk.

·      Qualitative: Through a workshop with adolescents, teachers, and youth social workers, we will explore how young people define the boundaries between consensual interaction and abuse, what influences disclosure and help-seeking, and how support can be improved.

By integrating quantitative intersectional analysis with lived experiences, this project will provide a comprehensive overview of digital vulnerability among Swiss youth. These insights will inform the co-development of a targeted prevention prototype, ensuring support systems are tailored to the needs of those most affected.