Internet and female victimization
The subject of this paper is a gender analysis of female victimization in the cyberspace. Since the Internet appears as a global network, it gives a global dimension to the virtual space, connecting any two points on the planet through a cyberspace. From this dimension, the cyberspace is al...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Victimology Society of Serbia and University of Belgrade, Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation
2018-01-01
|
| Series: | Temida |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/1450-6637/2018/1450-66371802229Z.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | The subject of this paper is a gender analysis of female victimization in the
cyberspace. Since the Internet appears as a global network, it gives a global
dimension to the virtual space, connecting any two points on the planet
through a cyberspace. From this dimension, the cyberspace is also perceived
as a social space. Namely, the Internet and social networks provide a
continuous and unlimited place for users’ gathering and contact, indicating
that, potentially, each user is a potential victim. When analyzing
victimization in the cyberspace it is important to notice that anonymity
encourages perpetrators and increases insecurity of the victim. Research
findings indicate that sexist and misogynistic attitudes towards women on
social networks result in their exclusion, marginalization and/or
victimization on the internet. The feminist criticism also points out that
not only matters whether something is considered to be legal or illegal
behaviour, but that cyber victimization is a continuous manifestation of
misogynistic attitudes that are part of the dominant gender and cultural
ideologies. The aim of this paper is to present the basic phenomenological
and etiological characteristics of gender dimensions of the use/misuse of
information technologies and to show that virtual communication, according to
its social consequences, is not gender neutral and that cyber violence has
its own gender implications. The data indicates that in the digital world,
the privacy of women is significantly compromised and associated with new and
terrifying forms of on-line violence. Feminist researchers warn that „the
Internet is only the culture accelerator, to which we are all accustomed, and
its name is the patriarchate.“ From this cognitive perspective, victimization
of women on social networks mainly depends on the level of the patriarchal
ideology of gender in a society, the influence of the media and the
protection of women‘ s rights. Women can experience various forms of violence
and privacy violations on the social networks, such as hate speech, spreading
lies, stalking, photo montage, creating of false user profiles, the
continuation of family violence, threats and blackmail, etc. The main topics
discussed in this paper relate to general approach to the phenomenon of
cyberspace and cyber violence; various types of cyber violence; cultural
context and gender dimension of on-line victimization; various forms of cyber
violence against women; specific characteristics of female victimization in
on-line communication and the perception of preventing female victimization
on the Internet, in the context of spreading gender- sensitive social norms
and values through legal standardization and socialization of women‘ s
rights. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1450-6637 2406-0941 |