Ministry of Justice explains how to recognize digital violence against women
28 November 04:05
Everyone has the right to be safe in the digital space, but women are becoming the most vulnerable category in the online environment. According to a study by the Economist Intelligence Unit, 85% of women surveyed from 45 countries, including Ukraine, have experienced or witnessed online violence, and 38% have had personal experience of such violence. The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has decided to explain the main types of digital violence, their consequences and ways of protection, Komersant ukrainskyi reports
Forms of cyberviolence and their impact
Digital violence can manifest itself in various forms, which, according to the Ministry of Justice, should be understood and recognized in time.
The most common are:
- Sending letters and messages for the purpose of intimidation or blackmail.
- Dissemination of false information about a person.
- Hacking into email accounts or social media accounts.
- Posting or sending intimate photos.
- Using personal information for blackmail or discrediting purposes.
“With the development of technology, new forms of violence are emerging that often go unnoticed by society. This not only harms women psychologically, but also creates real threats to their safety,” said the representative of the Ministry of Justice.
Types of illegal behavior in the digital environment
According to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Violence against Women, the main types of digital violence are
- psychological violence
- sexual harassment on the Internet
- cyberstalking.
Psychological violence committed online can have the greatest consequences for victims. It includes:
- Cyberbullying – harassment aimed at humiliating, insulting or intimidating.
- Sexist hate speech – derogatory or discriminatory statements based on gender.
- Body-shaming – insulting or ridiculing a woman’s appearance through social media or other digital platforms.
- Deadnaming is the use of a woman’s old name (for example, for transgender people) for the purpose of discrimination or humiliation.
- Flaming – public aggressive or offensive comments that create a hostile atmosphere.
- Trolling – provocative actions or comments aimed at psychological pressure or humiliation.
- Outing – disclosure of confidential information about sexual orientation, personal life or other details without consent.
“Domestic violence can also manifest itself in the digital environment. For example, control of finances through online banking or abuse of personal data,” the Ministry of Justice explained.
The next group of illegal online behavior is sexual harassment on the Internet, including sexting (intimate correspondence) and cyberflashing (sending unwanted sexual images through dating or messaging apps, text messages, or Airdrop or Bluetooth technologies).
A separate group of threats to women in the digital environment is online harassment and harassment through technology (cyberstalking).
This type of harassment includes
- threats (sexual, economic, physical or psychological)
- damage to reputation,
- surveillance and collection of private information about the victim,
- theft of personal data,
- incitement to sexual activity by impersonating the victim,
- stalking with accomplices to isolate the victim.
How to counteract and where to seek help
The Ministry of Justice emphasizes that it is important not to silence cases of digital violence.
“We must create a space where everyone feels protected. This is our common task – to counteract any form of violence,” the Ministry emphasized.
Victims can contact the Government hotline at 15-47 for advice.
