DIGITAL HARASSMENT, VIOLENCE AND GENDER

In parallel with the increase in the use of digital technologies during the pandemic period, the possibilities and the risks posed by the digital environment have become more and more clear. Most of these possibilities and risks are related to the protection of our personal data and the safe use of digital technologies in education and business life. Also, during the isolation process, people used social networks extensively for so as to socialize and reduce boredom. Contrary to our life before, people started to make their work and information about themselves more visible on social platforms. It can be said that this situation has brought with it the possibility of an increase in unwanted online communication and digital harassment.

Digital harassment can be defined as repeatedly sending offensive or sexually explicit messages to a specific targeted person. It should also be considered that harassment can be seen when anybody persistently invites someone to communicate with them or not allow them to terminate the communication against their will.

Microsoft's Digital Civility Index reports that; behaviours such as unsolicited communication, spamming, cyberbullying and misogyny can all be classified as harassment. Abusive messages are often sent through personal communication channels such as social networks or chat rooms. It can be in the form of public comments to the posts on social networks, or it can be done through private messaging. Harassment and stalking because of gender online, also known as online gender-based violence, is common and can include rape threats and other threats of violence, as well as the posting of the victim's personal information. It is blamed for limiting victims' activities online or driving them offline entirely, thereby impeding their participation in online life and undermining their autonomy, dignity, identity, and opportunities. Sometimes, the harassment can be prolonged and repetitively than flashy(immediate). And can affect the victim more unilaterally.

Studies reveal that digital harassment and violence pose a greater risk, especially for women and girls. It is clear that online risks, such as the unequal use of the opportunities offered by internet technologies, do not have an egalitarian nature. The digital environment has the potential to be an environment where this violence is reproduced, as well as creating platforms for initiatives to stop violence against women and gender. It seems that digital platforms can be used by perpetrators as a tool to facilitate and deepen violence against women and girls in an offline environment. In random interviews with women, it is understood that women are not only harassed through private messages but also avoid sharing or commenting on social platforms. Women are worried about making sexist or even misogynistic comments on their social media posts. Because again, researches show us that the “disliked” posts of female users on social networks are mostly responded with comments that evoke sexual violence. In the Digital Civility Index Global report published by Microsoft in 2017, it is stated that girls between the ages of 13 and 17 are abused about 10% more than boys in the same age range online. In the study, it was observed that more than half of adult women (56%), like girls, were directly or indirectly abused; Adult men appear to have lower rates of abuse.

UNICEF also reveals that digital violence against women has reached serious proportions in a survey conducted in 2019 with around 1 million young participants from more than 160 countries. On the other hand, in the same report prepared by UNICEF as part of the "Stop Violence" project, it also underlines that digital violence poses a threat not only to women but to all individuals. It is pointed out that 70 per cent of online young people between the ages of 15-24 encounter situations such as violence, cyberbullying and digital harassment on the internet.

A study by the Pew Research Center also highlights that men suffer from substantial online harassment. It is seen that the rate of men online experiencing at least one of the types of harassment considered within the scope of the research is higher than 40%. A significant portion of men also states that they are subjected to three or more unwanted communication and sexual demands in their lives. These figures show that the digital environment is not always a safe space for men and boys.

Setting the boundaries of harassment, regardless of gender

We can say that the point that needs to be clarified about digital harassment is the social codes regarding the issue, rather than the difference by gender. However, sexist codes seem to be decisive in defining and demarcating digital harassment. When the boundaries of digital harassment and violence are determined regardless of these codes and gender differences, it will be possible to reach healthy research results covering all individuals. Especially in communication with the opposite sex, “unsolicited communication” and where the harassment begins needs a precise definition. Repetitive sending of messages, forcing to reply and maintain communication, regardless of gender, should be defined as harassment. Behaviours such as unwanted image sharing, persistent follow-up and continuous comment on their posts also fall under the definition of digital harassment. However, women often describe it as "harassment" when they are exposed to such behaviour, while men are absent from defining it as "harassment". (see Baştürk, E.- 2019)

Profiling of stalkers shows that almost always they stalk someone they know or, via delusion, think they know, as is the case with stalkers of celebrities or public persons in which the stalkers feel they know the celebrity even though the celebrity does not know them. As part of the risk they take for being in the public eye, celebrities and public figures are often targets of lies or made-up stories in tabloids as well as by stalkers, some even seeming to be fans. In one noted case in 2011, actress Patricia Arquette quit Facebook after alleged cyberstalking. In her last post, Arquette explained that her security warned her Facebook friends to never accept friend requests from people they do not actually know. Arquette stressed that just because people seemed to be fans did not mean they were safe. The media issued a statement that Arquette planned to communicate with fans exclusively through her Twitter account in the future. 

Sharing our thoughts on digital platforms, establishing friendships, chatting and being part of certain groups should be evaluated within the freedom of communication of individuals. Restricting our will to start or end a communication, to identify who can see our posts, and to stay away from messages we do not want should be defined as harassment, regardless of the gender of the perpetrator or victim. Therefore, the ethical use of the online environment and the development of digital literacy skills should be seen as a need for all individuals, not just vulnerable groups.