Today (7th September), the first ever large-scale research across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to be conducted into online violence against women and girls (OVAWG) shows just how widespread the issue really is.
Online gender-based violence can take many forms such as trolling, threats, abuse, unwanted sexual remarks, malicious sharing of intimate photos and messages, among many other examples and it disproportionately effects women.
The findings reveal that over one in 10 women in England have experienced online violence, with this figure increasing amongst those aged 16-24 (25%) and LGB+ women (35%). Of those women who have experienced online violence, over one in ten (13%) said it later progressed to offline violence.
Online anonymity (49%), ease of getting away with it (47%) and misogyny (43%) top the most commonly perceived reasons for why people commit online violence against women and girls.
The Milton Keynes-based Open University surveyed 7,500 adults across the UK and the results show some concerning gender divides, men in England less likely than women to support making OVAWG a criminal offence (over 50% of men strongly supporting vs over 69% women).
The project was led by Dr Olga Jurasz, Senior Lecturer in Law at The Open University.
There is also a lack of confidence on the part of women and girls, that the authorities would deal effectively with a report of online violence. Women who have experienced online violence are more likely to have sought support from their friends (29%) or family (16%) rather than the police (6%). And 57% of women in England stated that they thought the police lacked the resources needed to tackle online violence against women and girls effectively. Seven in ten (71%) of women in England who say they did report online violence to the police are not satisfied with the outcome.
The OVAWG research project forms part of the university’s OU’s Open Societal Challenges Programme, which aims to tackle some of the most important societal challenges of our time through impact-driven research. The Programme’s focus on the themes of Tackling Inequalities, Living Well and Sustainability align well with the OU’s mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas.
