Online Abuse
Online abuse can be described as a range of behaviors that causes harm or distress to another person. To put it more simply, online abuse is any sort of inappropriate behavior that happens on the internet via any device. It can happen anywhere at any time on mobile phones, games consoles, computers, laptops and tablets.
These abuses can be directed at an individual and/or towards a group of people.
The types of online abuse we cover in this unit are:
- Cyberbullying
- Trolling
- Digital Drama
- Hate speech
- Sexualised Abuse
- Blackmail
- Stalking
Online abuse can be the only form of abuse that a person experiences or it can be a part of a wider pattern of abuse including or leading to offline abuse.
Anyone can experience online abuse, but children and young people are particularly at risk of experiencing it. As such, adults must be aware of the warning signs of abuse so that they are best placed to help and stop it.
Inappropriate Behaviour
Some inappropriate online behaviors include:
Inappropriate social media comments
Sharing discriminatory content
Sharing fake news
making passive-aggressive comments
sharing too much personal information
What has led to the rise of inappropriate behavior online?
When users are online, they feel anonymous and may do things that they may not normally do offline.
They may think that nobody will ever know who they are, but it is impossible to be completely anonymous online.
It is inevitable that you will meet new people online, especially if you visit chatrooms, or use social networking sites. Unfortunately, some of these people may behave in an inappropriate manner. (Laura Allen, 8 Feb 2022)
Where does online abuse take place?
Online abuse is not restricted to one platform. It can take place through:
Messaging platforms (text messaging and instant messaging services such as WhatsApp as well as via email)
Social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat
Video streaming services such as YouTube and TikTok
Any online chats, forums or live-streaming sites
Gaming, most often through the voice chat in videogame
When online abuse occurs, it is often not limited to just one platform or source. As such, online abuse can follow people wherever they visit on the internet.
The prevalence of smartphones has had a huge impact on the nature of online abuse. Those who abuse others online can do so at any time of day with a simple reach into their pocket.
The effects of online abuse
Online abuse can affect people both in the short term and long term. Those who experience online abuse will not all suffer from the same effects. Also, many of the effects of online abuse are like the effects of other types of abuse.
The list of possible effects of online abuse is therefore substantial and includes:
Anxiety
Depression
Low self-esteem
Eating disorders
Post-traumatic stress
Difficulty in coping with stress
Self-harm
Suicidal tendencies or thoughts
Feelings of shame and guilt
Relationship problems with family and friends
Drug and alcohol problems
Who is at risk?
Online abuse can be experienced by someone that the victim knows or a stranger. It can also be a one-off occasion or could be a pattern of abuse lasting much longer. As such, identifying who is most at risk of online abuse is difficult.
Children:
Generally, children are more at risk of online abuse than adults. This is related to their immaturity and inexperience in navigating the online world. Additionally, they often spend more time online than many adults.
Some children are also more at risk than others as they have other vulnerabilities. Online abusers can exploit a child’s vulnerabilities to increase the likelihood that the child will stay quiet about the abuse.
Children who are in care, are neglected by their caregivers or who have a number of carers are often more at risk of online abuse due to their living situation and previous adversity. Likewise, those with disabilities, including learning disabilities, are much more likely to be a victim of online abuse.
Ethnicity:
Black people and those of certain other minorities are much more likely to be a victim of or exposed to online abuse than white and Asian people. The Office for National Statistics in the UK reported that Asian or British Asian children were significantly less likely to have experienced online abuse (6%) compared to White children (21%), Black children (18%) and Mixed Ethnic group children (19%) (ONS, 2022).
People with additional needs:
Those with additional needs are more likely to witness or experience abuse. A recent report by the ONS in the UK shows that the prevalence of online bullying was significantly higher for children who have additional needs or long-term illness (26%) than those without (18%).
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