October 22, 2014
Harassment has become a common part of online life. Fully 73% of adult internet users have seen someone be harassed in some way online and 40% have personally experienced it. Young women experience particularly severe forms.
Online adults who witnessed harassment said they had seen at least one of the following occur to others online:
- 60% of internet users said they had witnessed someone being called offensive names
- 53% had seen efforts to purposefully embarrass someone
- 25% witnessed someone being harassed for a sustained period of time
- 24% had seen someone being physically threatened
- 19% said they witnessed someone being sexually harassed
- 18% said they had seen someone be stalked
Internet users who have personally experienced online harassment said they were the target of at least one of the following online:
- 27% of internet users have been called offensive names
- 22% have had someone try to purposefully embarrass them
- 8% have been physically threatened
- 8% have been stalked
- 7% have been harassed for a sustained period
- 6% have been sexually harassed
Read or download the full report: http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/10/22/online-harassment/
Newsletter Sign Up