A survey conducted by instant messaging company MXit reveals 64% of the young adult respondents have been a victim of abuse, or know someone who has been affected.
This survey was conducted on 50 000 of its young South African users as part of an awareness initiative during the '16 days of activism for no violence against women and children' campaign, ending today.
The survey also reveals that 55% of the youth surveyed have not taken steps to get help or to report the crime. “The result is very disturbing because it highlights the level of abuse prevalent in SA,” says Juan du Toit, international marketing manager for MXit.
MXit will hand over the results of the survey to the South African Parliament as supporting documentation to highlight youth issues when they meet at the Youth Summit in Parliament next year, he adds.
Creating dialogue
Users were able to fill in a free-form questionnaire with their own accounts of abuse, according to MXit. “From their responses, it is clear that they feel disenfranchised, and do not know where to turn for help, or they are too afraid to do so,” says Du Toit.
MXit also hosted a special chat room for the '16 days of activism' campaign, where users could speak directly and confidentially to Childline counsellors on their mobile phones. MXit says Childline SA was invited to assist with sensitive queries.
According to Du Toit, getting young people talking is necessary, and these initiatives allowed the youth to highlight the level of abuse in SA.
The Childline National Office already conducts one-on-one counselling sessions on MXit via dedicated chat rooms, and over 69 000 MXit users have downloaded the Childline contact to seek assistance, the company says.
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