Online Harassment At ‘Epidemic’ Levels For Australian Women

It might be International Women’s Day, but it’s clear we’ve still got a long way to go when it comes to protecting women online

A survey released by Norton Security today highlights the disturbing effects of digital harassment on Australian women, with three in four under the age of 30 experiencing some form of online abuse.

RELATED: Five Inspirational Female Record-Breakers

1 in 4 of these women have experienced general threats of physical violence, while 1 in 10 have been threatened with revenge porn or sextortion, the survey reveals.

But it isn’t just women under 30 that are suffering – almost 50 per cent of women in general have experienced online harassment.

It’s shocking statistics like these that have spurred famous faces such as Tara Moss into action.

In conjunction with Beyond Blue and Norton Security, the prominent author is pushing for tougher legislation around online harassment laws.

“I think we’re at a tipping point now,” Moss said. “The incidence of online abuse is at an all-time high, especially for women.”

Moss added that International Women’s Day was the ideal platform for launching the campaign against online abuse, adding that it was a vital issue for women.

RELATED: The link between too much TV time and bullying

“While International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of all women, it’s also a day to focus on issues that need to be addressed,” she said.

“As a community, we need to speak up against all forms of violence, including acts of harassment in the online world.”

Unfortunately, 90 per cent of women do not report online abuse to the police due to fear they’ll be further targeted, or the belief that nothing can, or will, be done.

And despite the fact that the abuse takes place in the digital world, according to Beyond Blue CEO, Georgie Harman, the impact is very real.

“BeyondBlue’s work is increasingly being carried out in the digital world,” Harman explained.

“Cyberbullying can have a long-lasting impact and it can be a risk factor for depression, anxiety and suicide.”

When speaking to Yahoo7 Lifestyle, Harman used Charlotte’s Dawson’s death as an example of the tragic consequences of online bullying.

“In the days following Charlotte’s death, calls to Beyond Blue seriously spiked,” Harman explained. “Suicidal ideation is a bigger problem for women.”

As a victim of online abuse herself, Moss told Yahoo7 Lifestyle she’d experienced such a high level of harassment that she’d been in contact with police last year.

“The worst part was, they couldn’t do anything at first,” said Moss. “They said they needed more evidence of this guy’s actions, despite me sending them frequent screengrabs of his lewd sexual innuendo. I blocked him at first, but had to unblock him for a further four days to gather the evidence the police said they needed. It really highlighted how little protection there is for the victims of abuse.”

Moss said she was also concerned about women feeling like they had to withdraw from the online space.

“I’ve noticed that a lot of female writers have stopped writing opinion pieces,” Moss offered as an example. “It’s reflective of a wider problem. But technology can be a source for good. We don’t want women to withdraw because we need to have voice online.”

And while Moss and Harman both acknowledge that online abuse towards men is also prevalent, they say women are twice as likely to receive death or rape threats.

So what’s the solution?

“It’s time for the laws to change,” said Moss. “It’s great that most social media platforms now offer an abuse reporting tool, but we want this to go to the next level – and International Women’s Day is the perfect platform to make ourselves heard on the issue.”