Sexual Assault Awareness Month, observed each April, is a campaign that aims to increase awareness about the causes and risk factors for sexual assault and empower the public to help survivors in their communities. Nowadays, screens and technology connect us with romantic partners, friends and family, co-workers, and strangers alike. Unsurprisingly, harassment, cyberbullying, sexual abuse, and exploitation have come to be expected as typical and unavoidable behaviors online. Between 25% and 40% of American adult internet users say they have been harassed online, and an 11-year analysis of online harassment cases found that women made up 72% of victims and men made up 47.5% of perpetrators. Online harassment is becoming a severe problem threatening web users’ well-being.
What is Online Sexual Abuse?
Forms of online sexual harassment or abuse include:
- Sending others unwelcome communication about sex.
- Hateful comments based on sex, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation.
- Sending others unwanted requests for nude photos or videos or livestream sexual acts.
- Performing sexual acts on webcam without the consent of everyone involved or in inappropriate settings (like during an online class or an online work meeting).
- Sharing private images or videos without the consent of everyone involved (also known as revenge porn or non-consensual pornography — which, as of February 2021, is illegal in 46 states plus Washington, D.C.).
- Sharing porn in spaces where not everyone has consented to view it (for example, in inappropriate spaces like Zoom meetings, which is also called “Zoombombing”).
- Grooming children to enable their sexual abuse either online or offline.
Key Facts of Online Harassment
Online harassment is no less harmful just because it happens online. Virtual harassment can leave lasting harm because the content is often public, unerasable, and just as emotionally damaging as in-person harassment.
Online harassment and bullying are extremely common. 41% of Americans have been personally subjected to harassing behavior online, and an even larger share (66%) have witnessed these behaviors directed at others.
People from historically oppressed groups are more likely to be harassed online, and that harassment is likely to be more severe. Online harassment mirrors the inequalities elsewhere in society, including racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, ableist, or other hate speech based on aspects of someone’s identity.
Victims of online harassment often have little recourse. Due to the anonymity of the internet, many victims have no idea who is behind the harassment or attack. Even when knowing the person causing harm, victims also have few avenues to stop it.
“Just log off” isn’t always an effective solution. Pushing the victim to no longer participate in online spaces to avoid being harassed is victim-blaming. Victims may rely on virtual spaces to connect with loved ones and have social interactions to heal themselves. We must address the root causes of online harassment by taking the issue seriously and holding people who commit online harassment accountable.
Ways to Support Survivors
To support the survivors, we need to understand the impact of online trauma. Trauma is an intense experience that causes overwhelming emotional and psychological stress, including feeling guilt, shame, fear, anxiety, sadness, numbness, shock, withdrawal, and isolation. Survivors may have trouble sleeping, nightmares, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of being easily startled and on edge.
Thus, please be aware that many people you are interacting with, either online or in person, may have experienced some form of trauma.We can create trauma-informed online spaces by considering a person’s experience of trauma and their reactions to it.
Ways to Protect Survivors
- Giving participants on Zoom or other media platforms choices about how to engage- for example, by not requiring everyone to turn their video cameras on.
- Developing community agreements about how people can interact in the space.
- Informing participants as much as possible about what to expect in the space, like how long an online event will be or what activities will take place.
- Encouraging self-care. Let participants know it’s okay if they need to step away or log off, and provide some examples of how they can re-center if they need to.
- Making it clear if and how information shared in the space will be shared outside the space. For example, not repeating others’ personal stories shared within the space so that participants feel comfortable.
- Connecting participants to the support they may need. Let people know where they can go for help if something in the online community is triggering.
Online resources for survivors:
- Local sexual assault resource center: These centers can help survivors of abuse, no matter when the abuse occurred or if a report was made to the police. You can find your local center using this directory or search for your state anti-sexual violence coalition for more resources in your area. Local sexual assault advocates will let you know what services they have to support survivors — whether virtually or in person — in the community.
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: Volunteers offer support 24/7 to survivors and anyone in need. Whether they are looking for help, advice, or a referral, they can call 800-656-HOPE to be connected to their local sexual assault resource center or chat online with a trained support specialist.
- Message boards, forums, and groups: Survivors are connecting online through communities, forums, and message boards. For example, on Support For Sexual Assault Survivors, many survivors are sharing their stories with others. While they’re a less formal form of support, these online spaces provide a platform where survivors can share experiences and support one another.
For more information, check out these online resources for survivors.