Digital harassment and abuse: Experiences of sexuality and gender minority adults

Digital harassment and abuse refers to a range of harmful, interpersonal behaviours experienced via the internet, as well as via mobile phone and other electronic communication devices. Whereas much existing research has focused on the experiences of children and young people (including foremost ‘cy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of criminology 2020-03, Vol.17 (2), p.199-223
Main Authors: Powell, Anastasia, Scott, Adrian J, Henry, Nicola
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Bisexuality
Bullying
Child sexual abuse
Cisgender
Communication
Criminology
Cyberbullying
Gender
Harassment
Heterosexuality
International studies
Internet
Lesbianism
Mobile phones
Sex crimes
Sexual abuse
Sexual harassment
Sexual orientation
Sexual violence
Sexuality
Technology
Transgender persons
Victims
Youth
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Summary:Digital harassment and abuse refers to a range of harmful, interpersonal behaviours experienced via the internet, as well as via mobile phone and other electronic communication devices. Whereas much existing research has focused on the experiences of children and young people (including foremost ‘cyberbullying’), there have been few international studies on adult experiences of digital harassment and abuse. As such, little is currently known about the extent, nature and impacts of digital harassment and abuse on adult victims. In particular, there exists a significant gap in current research into sexual, sexuality and gender based digital harassment and abuse. This article draws on findings from a larger research project in which we surveyed 2956 Australian adults and 2842 British adults (aged 18 to 54) about their experiences of technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV). The data presented here focus on the experiences of sexuality diverse adults (n = 282) who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual, as well as gender diverse adults (n = 90), including women, men and transgender individuals. Results suggest that transgender individuals experience higher rates of digital harassment and abuse overall, and higher rates of sexual, sexuality and gender based harassment and abuse, as compared with heterosexual cisgender individuals. Implications of the findings are discussed with respect to policy, prevention, and future research.
ISSN:1477-3708
1741-2609
DOI:10.1177/1477370818788006