(In)visible Women: Experiences of and Responses to Gender-Based Online Harms

A subject that combines my academic interests of cybercrime, victimisation, gender and intersectionality, within the field of SocioLegal Studies.
Women whose roles require a strong online presence can suffer deeply distressing attacks on the internet as a result of their heightened visibility. To date, little research has examined how women's demographic backgrounds influence their risk of cyber victimisation.
Moreover, there is a lack of literature investigating how online harms migrate to physical abuse and the fear this creates, with women often self-censoring and excluding themselves from online spaces in response. I believe with the Government's Online Safety Bill due to be presented to Parliament in Spring 2022 and the very visible concern of the public about the safety of women and girls in the UK, this is an urgent and timely topic and would be a positive addition to the University and the wider DTP's research output, keeping it at the forefront of internationally recognised work aimed at making a real difference to society.