Victim Blaming, Responsibilization and Resilience in Online Sexual Abuse and Harassment

Abstract

As digital technology becomes more pervasive and interconnected, cybercrime expands as a criminal activity, creating both new offences and victims. Whilst victims can be from any background, attitudes and responses to certain groups appear to follow similar patterns of victim blaming that pre-existed the Internet and continue to remain problematic offline. This chapter draws on recent examples of online victimization including misogynistic abuse by online trolls, attempting to silence feminist voices with intimidation and threats. Such behaviour threatens not only individual freedoms but also democracy, with female politicians increasingly exposed to vile threats and abuse. The chapter explores the persistence and reproduction of a victim-blaming rhetoric and the response of feminist activism to challenge online abuse through utilising online campaigns. It argues that whilst prevention is key to reducing the escalating harms caused by cyber abuse, it requires a strategy that moves beyond victim blaming to one that holds accountable not only the individual offenders but also internet giants. The discussion explores the particular challenges of reconciling stubborn victim-blaming assumptions with the responsibilization agenda and resilience online.