Online trolling of women is linked to domestic violence, say campaigners

[ismnotwasm]

Speaking before a conference on tackling online abuse, which will be attended by high-profile victims including the MP Stella Creasy and feminist writer and campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, Polly Neate, chief executive of Women's Aid, said the links between domestic violence and online abuse were too often ignored.

"It is critical that we make the link between this vicious online harassment and cyberbullying and real-life violence against women," she said. "We need to understand that this is part of a domestic violence spectrum and we have to challenge this type of misogyny because it is the backdrop that allows that violence to take place."

The "decimation" of domestic violence services was also leaving providers struggling to provide basic support to victims, and unable to tackle complex problems such as online abuse, she added.

Women's Aid supports 350 services throughout the country. Its survey of 307 domestic violence survivors showed 48% had been harassed or abused online by their ex-partner once they had left the relationship and 38% reported online stalking. A further 45% were abused online during their relationship.

Three-quarters of women were concerned that police did not know how best to respond to online abuse or harassment, while 12% had reported abuse to the police and said they had not been helped.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/03/online-trolling-women-domestic-violence

[BainsBane]

1. violence against women is hushed up

She added that online trolling was the "vocalisation of a culture where domestic violence is still hushed up and not spoken about, a culture where two women can die a week at the hands of an abusive partner or ex-partner and it's not even shocking". Criado-Perez added that there was a lack of political will to tackle the situation. "It's not just about addressing social media, it's about tackling a deep-seated cultural problem, which takes time and financial investment – and this government is just not interested in that," she said.

I experience efforts to maintain that silence every time I post about violence against women on this site. Inevitably, a string of men invade the thread to tell me I have no right to post about such issues. Continued violence against women depends on silence, and they work hard to silence those who dare to expose it.

[seabeyond]

2. violence against women depends on silence

fact. and every person (cause it is not only men) the demand the silence is part of the problem.

[BainsBane]

3. Indeed. Every person.

[Squinch]

4. And there are those here who think that the wimmins are just getting uppity

and are being insensitive when they ask for measures against cyberstalking and online sexual harassment.

Cause, you know, what if they report something that's not that bad? (Seriously. I have seen this argument here.)