Cyberaggression: Safety and Security Issues for Women Worldwide

Abstract

The first generation of cyberaggression researchers has shown that the Internet is being used in different forms to harass, insult, threaten, and stalk a significant number of female Internet users. Because this type of communication takes place in cyberspace—a relatively anonymous environment—cyberaggression poses new challenges to the safety and security of these women. A handful of nations have developed anti-cyberaggression legislation, yet these legal efforts have not deterred those who harass and stalk women on line, in part because jurisdictional issues compromise the effectiveness of this legislation. Various parties interested in the safety and security of women Internet users have developed risk management strategies that women can use to empower themselves against those who engage in cyberaggression.