Online Sexual Harms in Singapore (OSHSG): A Victim-Survivor-Centred Approach

Grant Call: 2025 Social Science and Humanities Research Fellowship Call 

Project Status: Ongoing 

The project aims to de-normalise and de-stigmatise online sexual harms in Singapore, determine how digital technologies facilitate such harms and advocate a victim-survivor-centred approach. It also proposes a new theoretical framework, silence of shame, to conceptualise online sexual harms as a complex phenomenon in Singapore.  

The objectives of Asst Prof Ho’s project are: 

• Examine the deep-rooted sociocultural norms, values and attitudes Singapore have towards online sexual harms, and offer recommendations on how to deal with normalisation and stigma. 

• Understand how digital technologies enable and amplify online sexual harms and assess the effectiveness of policies and initiatives that technology companies have put forward to manage such harms. 

• Assess the adequacy of support, resources and recourse options for victim-survivors and advocate for a more victim-survivor-centred approach. 

This project will address gaps in research, knowledge, and awareness on online sexual harms in Singapore, aiming to change the culture that underpins online sexual harms as ‘normal’ and commonplace. Its findings can inform government policies, legal solutions, and initiatives by technology companies, as well as augment victim-survivor resources and support services carried out by frontline workers.