Why is Sexual Harassment in Group Chats Considered a Joke? Sociologist Highlights Misunderstood Safe Spaces

Society is currently abuzz with the revelation of a verbal sexual harassment case at the Faculty of Law, University of Indonesia (FH UI). As many as 16 FH UI students are suspected of using numerous female students and lecturers as the subject of indecent “jokes” in a closed group chat. This case reveals how an exclusive friendship circle consisting of a group of men can transform into a “shield” protecting the perpetrators of sexual harassment. According to sociologist from Jakarta State University (UNJ), Syaifudin, M.Kesos, unwritten rules that are “agreed” upon silently within the group are often allowed to dominate, even overriding the ethics of decency that should be upheld. Verbal sexual violence within a closed chat group is often regarded as a shared secret safe from external scrutiny. Sociologically, Syaifudin explains that the perpetrators feel they are not being watched by authority figures or the general public, allowing them to easily shed their “mask”. “Erving Goffman’s perspective is also relevant, where interactions within a group can be seen as a ‘backstage’ that enables individuals to express behaviour they would not display in public spaces,” he stated. The perpetrators feel extremely free to express themselves without fear of social sanctions, shielded by their friends. The loss of personal guilt among the perpetrators can occur because the moral burden is felt collectively by all group members. “There is a phenomenon of diffusion of responsibility, where moral responsibility is distributed among group members, so no individual feels fully guilty,” explained the sociology lecturer at UNJ’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Law. Actions that demean women in the group are often tolerated by members who actually disagree in order to maintain internal harmony. The pressure to always appear united makes voices that truly disagree, or moral reprimands within the group, a taboo to voice. “Groupthink theory explains that in cohesive groups, criticism of deviant behaviour is often suppressed to preserve harmony,” Syaifudin clarified.