A recent study has shown how online harassment has become prevalent in society.
The study by the Pew Research Center was undertaken in the US but it might as well have been done in any other country, including the Philippines. The study showed that four out of 10 Americans personally experienced online harassment, and 62 percent considered it a major problem.
Maeve Duggan wrote about the survey in www.pewinternet.org and started by borrowing an expression in the technology industry that said, harassment is now a “feature” of life online for many Americans. Some of the 4,248 American adults surveyed said they experienced harassment that can be ignored or shrugged off as a nuisance of online life, such as offensive name-calling. But there are some who suffered severe forms of harassment online, such as physical threats, harassment over a sustained period, sexual harassment or stalking.
As the report said, “In its milder forms, it creates a layer of negativity that people must sift through as they navigate their daily routines online. At its most severe, it can compromise users’ privacy, force them to choose when and where to participate online, or even pose a threat to their physical safety.”
One may not be a victim of online harassment but they may have witnessed these behaviors directed at others.
People get targeted for their personal or physical characteristics; political views, gender, physical appearance or race. In the Philippines, it seems the most vitriolic of harassment is meant for those of opposite political views. The tags of “Dutertards” and “yellowtards” figure in the abuse.
Then there is the anonymity that is allowed on the Internet. This ability to be anonymous online is often tied to the issue of online harassment, the report said.
When asked who should be responsible for policing or preventing abuse online, survey respondents (79 percent) assigned responsibility to online companies and platforms. When harassing behavior occurs on their platforms, these online services have the responsibility to step in and stop the harassment.
Other ways to stop the harassment were for online platforms to have better policies and tools to address online abuse. At the same time, survey respondents saw the public’s own role in stopping this. Peer pressure and taking action when you witness harassing behavior online were among the effective ways.
Law enforcement would have to take online harassment incidents seriously also to curb this practice.
The survey presented issues of free speech and political correctness that underlie the online harassment debate. It said, despite the broad concern over online harassment, Americans are more divided over how to balance protecting free expression online and preventing behavior that crosses into abuse. Respondents wanted people to speak their minds freely online and, at the same time, to feel welcome and safe online.
It would be nice to see a similar survey done in the Philippines to know the extent of online harassment here and the responses necessary to end it.