Technology provides many opportunities for communication but also comes with risks, including online violence. The anonymity of the internet can make people feel shielded, but freedom of expression should never come at the expense of others. Those who engage in defamation, threats, or harassment online can be held criminally responsible. What happens in the virtual world has a real impact on people’s emotions and quality of life. If you have been a victim of online violence, you have the right to defend yourself and protect your rights.
How can online violence manifest?
Online violence includes cyberstalking (persistent and repeated attempts to contact someone), bullying via messaging, degrading comments, defamation, distribution of fake audiovisual material (known as “deep fakes”), threats of physical or sexual violence, revealing or threatening to reveal personal information about someone, revenge porn, and sending unwanted sexual content. All of this can occur regardless of the victim’s participation in social activities, but often personal life and professional activities are used as a pretext for online violence. The aforementioned violations can also be an extension of harassment at school, work, or other environments.
The tools used by perpetrators give them a sense of confidence and an illusion of immunity, often making bullying online even more intense. It can take place on social networks, in messaging platforms, on gaming portals, or through emails, messages, frequent calls, and other forms of communication.
What to do if you experience violence online?
- Report inappropriate content to social media administrators. Many social media platforms allow you to report offensive or false posts, comments, groups, and accounts to the administrators. This is done anonymously, and the perpetrator will be warned about their inappropriate actions – they will likely want to preserve their account and start behaving more responsibly.
- Limit others’ ability to contact and monitor you. Block harassing individuals on social media to make it more difficult for them to reach you or view the content you share. Additionally, avoid posting about your plans and exact location in real-time, as this information can help stalkers track your daily habits. Since it makes the stalker’s job easier, your safety, health, and even life may be at risk.
- Change your phone number. Sometimes it may be enough to block the phone numbers of those who harm you, but your phone number can be exposed to a large number of people, for example, through a fake advertisement. If this happens, it is recommended to change your phone number and only share it with close contacts.
- Ensure the security of your devices, email, online banking, and social media accounts. Change the most important passwords to new ones and follow security recommendations – a secure password should consist of at least 12 characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Do not respond to messages, emails, or comments. Any reaction can encourage the perpetrator and show that their actions are affecting you – which is their main goal. When they realize their efforts are not yielding a reaction, the online bullying may stop.
- Talk about the situation with a friend, family member, or another person you trust. The support of a loved one or an experienced professional can help you maintain your self-confidence and alleviate the damage that online violence causes to your quality of life.
- Save electronic and printed copies of received emails, messages, and comments. All evidence will be necessary if you decide to report the violence. The more evidence you have, the easier it will be to prove the perpetrator’s guilt.
- Report inappropriate behaviour to the person responsible in your organisation. If colleagues are harassing you online and it interferes with your work, the situation should be reported to your manager, HR personnel, or another person who can take actions to prevent the violence.
- Report threats and other concerning behaviour to the police. If you believe that the online violence is damaging your reputation, emotional health, or poses a real threat to your physical safety, do not wait for the violence to stop on its own – it might never happen.
Becoming a victim does not depend on gender, age, beliefs, social status, or other identity characteristics. No one is fully protected from online violence, but preventive measures such as strengthening passwords or hiding your location can be taken even when no one is threatening your privacy online.
