Just as gender-based violence takes on many insidious forms, so does digital gender-based violence: image-based abuse aka non-consensual sharing of intimate images or “revenge porn”, cyberstalking, online harassment, sextortion, online trafficking, doxxing. The perpetrator could be a stranger on another continent or someone known next door who has weaponized technology and a target’s sexuality against her. Marginalized groups, including people with disabilities and LGBTQI individuals, may be even more vulnerable.

For survivors and victims of this sexualized abuse, like the young women whose stories are shared here, there is no distinction between real and virtual. Logging off doesn’t end the terror. The consequences are certainly all too real – fear, panic, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts and worse, among others. Our online and offline lives can blur into each other so as to be indistinguishable. Even if and after the violence ends, the scars endure. Survivors may limit Internet use or leave entirely, depriving themselves of community and connection, exploration and discovery, economic opportunity, education and entertainment.

Virtual violence is violence. Online abuse is abuse.

Virtual violence is violence. Online abuse is abuse. Women and girls have the right to feel safe in all spaces, wherever they are.

Like other forms of gender-based violence, this type of abuse is intended to make someone feel alone and powerless. If you have experienced digital gender-based violence, know that you are not alone – you are experiencing what many other women and girls face in this technological age. Talk with trusted friends and family. Don't allow fear or embarrassment to prevent you from reaching out for help.