MXit survey highlights abuse

2009-12-09 13:16

Johannesburg - Sixty-four percent of young South African adults say they either know somebody who has been abused, or have experienced abuse themselves, according to a survey conducted by communications company MXit.

"The result is very disturbing because it highlights the level of abuse prevalent in South Africa," a company statement said.

"A more alarming statistic is that 55% of the youth surveyed have not taken steps to get help or to report the crime."

Afraid

Juan du Toit, international marketing manager, said the survey also showed that those surveyed did not know where to turn to for help, or were too afraid to do so.

MXit hosted a special "16 Days of Activism" chatroom for young people to open up, realise they were not alone, and to seek help.

Childline SA was also invited to assist with sensitive queries and 69 000 MXit users downloaded the Childline contact to seek assistance.

DJ Suga hosted a celebrity chat to talk to her fans on Tuesday and encourage people to seek help if they had been abused.

"Abuse is not the norm, nor is it accepted - and young adults deserve to know this," she said in the statement.

The survey results would be handed to Parliament as supporting documentation to highlight youth issues at the Youth Summit in Parliament next year.

- SAPA