On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which we mark today, November 25th, the BaBe association would like to draw attention to the growing problem of online violence, which particularly affects women, and to point out that they most often face misunderstanding and condemnation from their environment, which is why they do not report violence.
To encourage victims to report online violence and provide the support they need, we have launched a new platform, NEON - babe.hr/ne-online-nasilju/ - through which they can easily report violence and receive free legal and psychological support and advice.
60% of victims do not report online violence, and the perpetrators are most often ex-partners
Since March this year, the BaBe association has been implementing the SURF and SOUND project - Support, Unite, Respond, Fight to Stop Online violence, with the aim of reducing the occurrence of online violence and through which a free counseling center has been opened for victims of online violence.
The most common form of violence that brings people to counselling is the posting or threat of posting of sexually explicit videos. This form of online violence is often intertwined with other forms such as doxing (posting the victim's personal information online) and sexual extortion, and unfortunately we also witness cases in which the videos were created as a result of rape, which further traumatises the victims. There is also online harassment by ex-partners, who in the most extreme cases even threaten their victims with death.
The victims are most often faced with psychological consequences and damage, while in some cases they have also suffered social and economic damage, since they are unable to perform work because the bullies used their work environment to commit violence, i.e. publishing intimate videos. All the people who turned to for help and support are female, which clearly indicates the gender conditioning of these forms of online violence.
Based on previous cases of online violence, we have observed that women aged 18 to 40 are most affected, but victims can be of all ages, with a significant number of women in the 45 to 55 age group. The most common perpetrators of violence are ex-partners, followed by online partners (people the victims met online and who are living abroad) and unknown, anonymous persons.
Unfortunately, the devastating fact is that as many as 601% of women do not report violence, which indicates the need for greater understanding, support and empathy towards victims, both in terms of institutions that should provide them with a greater degree of protection, and within a narrow circle of friends, family and community.
Therefore, on this day, we call on citizens, friends, neighbors, mothers and fathers, and society as a whole, to always be their support and encouragement on their journey to confront their abuser and seek protection.
The NEON platform, in addition to the possibilities applications online violence, provides advice and information on various forms of online violence, and within the platform it is also planned forum for mutual support women who faced abusers.
The SURF and SOUND project is financed by the European Union from the Rights, Equality and Citizenship program of the European Union (2014-2020), and the BaBe association's partner in implementing the project is the Electronic Media Agency.
The content of this press release is the sole responsibility of the BaBe association.
