Technologically-enabled violence and online safety

48% 84% of women aged 18-24 report having received cyberflashing images in one year (Bumble, 2021) of unwanted repeated behaviour happens online (Suzy Lamplugh Trust, 2023)

Roadblocks to online safety

Violence Against Girls and Women

(VAWG) is a national threat

Current regulation is unlikely to protect women and girls from image-based and/or technologically-enabled abuse at a time when both are “skyrocketing”

Ideas that humour or freedom of speech/expression are the main motivators of image-based and technologically-enabled abuse elides the sexism and misogyny that underpins these behaviours

Laws and Legislation at a glance

262 pages in the OSB

100 and zero mention of women and girls (EE Hope United campaign 2023) incidences of stalking needed before stalking is reported to the police leaving owness on survivors to collect data, remember details, and relive trauma how a determination is made whether of not reports of abuse are taken seriously by police

Next steps

Broader societal change; a general awareness raising and public pedagogy that “abuse is never ok”, and a wider public discussion about the impact of systemic sexism, misogyny and gender-based violence; Advocacy and implementation of a safety-by-design approach by the tech industry; Adoption of the VAWG Code of Practice into the Online Safety Bill

For our full report visit: https://tinyurl.com/4xws4eac