In this article, we examine the forms of online violence and how perpetrators can be resisted.

​

According to data from The Economist***, 38% of women report having experienced gender-based violence online, and 85% say they have witnessed such violence against other women. At the same time, these figures likely underestimate the accurate scale of the problem. Only one in four women who experience online abuse report unacceptable behavior on the platforms where it occurs, and only 14% report it to authorities such as cyber police.

​

This is mainly because many forms of gender-based violence remain normalized in society, and many women do not feel safe speaking about their experiences. Violence in online spaces is also often perceived as less severe. As a result, it may be ignored or dismissed with claims that people are “just having fun online” or that an annoying person can simply be blocked. In reality, perpetrators online often feel even greater impunity than in offline spaces.

​

Forms of online violence

​

Insults and hate speech. Negative comments or messages intended to insult, discourage, or undermine a person’s dignity constitute violence—not “freedom of speech” or a “personal opinion.” While anyone can be targeted, women are far more often subjected to hate simply for being women. A typical example includes female gamers being told to “go back to the kitchen” and subjected to sexist abuse when they try to participate in cooperative games.

​

The spread of false information. Perpetrators may deliberately spread fake information or rumors to damage an individual's or a community's reputation. This can also take the form of organized, large-scale campaigns involving many participants, a phenomenon known as astroturfing.

​

Identity theft. This involves impersonating another person by using their name, personal information, photos, or other data. Fake accounts are created to spread disinformation and to cause additional distress and inconvenience to the survivor.

 

Stalking. A perpetrator may monitor a person’s online activity, such as their profiles or published content, and engage in harassment through public or private messages, hacking accounts, or attempting to locate and reach the survivor offline.

 

Doxxing. The publication of someone else’s personal information, such as their name, photos, address, family connections, or documents, especially information that the person has never made public.

​

Publishing someone else’s personal photos or videos. One of the most dangerous forms of this abuse is the distribution of intimate images or videos, often referred to as revenge porn. This is sometimes used as “punishment” against current or former partners, exploiting their trust. Intimate images may also be sold or uploaded to pornographic or similar websites.

 

Digital voyeurism. Perpetrators may weaponize even ordinary, publicly available materials. This may overlap with stalking, when someone saves, comments on, or redistributes everything another person posts. It can also include editing someone’s photos, attempting to create fakes (for example, by placing a person’s face onto a porn actor’s body or generating degrading images using AI). Such actions are often accompanied by commentary on appearance and harassment.

​

Cyber harassment. Perpetrators may leave inappropriate comments, make unsolicited compliments, persistently message or call, propose meetings, or impose unwanted relationships.

​

Sending explicit images or videos without consent. This includes the well-known practice of sending unsolicited explicit images. Consent must be obtained before any such interaction. Without permission, this is not flirting but sexual violence, an intrusion into personal space intended to cause discomfort.

​

Grooming. Although this term is commonly used to describe the manipulation of children and their caregivers, similar tactics are also applied to adults. A perpetrator may present themselves as caring or supportive, offer help, and build trust to later exploit a person’s vulnerability for personal gain. For example, to commit sexual assault or coerce someone into prostitution.

​

In Ukraine, some of these forms of violence, including revenge porn and the dissemination of personal data, can be prosecuted under Article 182 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

​

How to protect yourself and others

​

It is important to remember that even with maximum caution, violence cannot be entirely prevented. Responsibility always lies with the perpetrators who choose to harm, intimidate, or exploit others. To reduce risks and protect yourself and your data as much as possible, you can follow basic online safety principles, while remaining aware that perpetrators are always at fault and that survivors deserve support without judgment or prejudice.

​

• Use security settings on your devices. Check the strength of your passwords and update them regularly. Avoid using personal information (such as your name or date of birth) in passwords. Enable two-factor authentication in messaging apps and review app permissions (e.g., geolocation access).
   

• Learn and use privacy settings on social media. You have the right to limit the visibility of your accounts to a level that feels comfortable or to delete them altogether if needed. Despite social pressure, you are not obligated to share your personal life with everyone.
   

• Do not click on suspicious links or open unknown files, especially from unfamiliar accounts.
   

• Be cautious when registering on websites and services, particularly unfamiliar ones. It is better to check what a service is before entering personal data.
   

• If you need to share personal information, do so over secure networks (for example, on your own device or a trusted home Wi-Fi connection).
   

• Periodically search for yourself on Google or other platforms. If you discover that someone is impersonating you, report the fake account and contact the relevant platform or website.
   

• Do not share other people’s photos, videos, contact details, or personal data without consent.
   

• Be extremely cautious when sending intimate images, even to partners. Consider obscuring your face or identifying features. If you receive intimate photos from someone else, do not show them to anyone, even on your own device, and delete them if requested.
   

• If your friends or acquaintances experience online violence, support them and, where possible, help them navigate the situation by explaining how to contact platform support, recover or delete accounts, or adjust privacy settings.
   

What to do if you have experienced violence:

​

• Identify the person who committed it: save a link to their profile, take screenshots, record any personal information, and search for it in open sources.

• Take screenshots or videos that may serve as evidence of the violence: correspondence, messages, photos, pages, etc.;

• File a report with the police or submit a complaint to the cyber police via https://ticket.cyberpolice.gov.ua, attaching all the information you have collected.

​​​

 

Sourses:

​

*European Commission. Commission preliminarily finds TikTok and Meta in breach of their transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act. — https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_2503
**The Guardian. Misogyny in the metaverse: is Mark Zuckerberg’s dream world a no-go area for women? — https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/10/the-misogyny-of-the-metaverse-is-mark-zuckerbergs-dream-world-a-no-go-area-for-women

 ***The Economist Intelligence Unit. Measuring the prevalence of online violence against women. — https://onlineviolencewomen.eiu.com/