Shocking levels of social media abuse of women will only end if we all take action

Been on social media recently? Much of the content likely related to one of two things: the general election and Euro 2024. Social media offers unparalleled opportunities for politicians, parties, interest groups, football fans, corporations, and influencers to engage audiences with a frenzy of content.

Online, we can gather for positive collective action, celebration, commiseration, and to befriend different people from far-flung places. Yet there's an inherent challenge: what happens when these tools are used maliciously? There’s no denying they are misused.

Abhorrent and vitriolic abuse of female public figures and celebrities is a particular problem. Abuse is often not solely about gender/sex; there is clear evidence that it intersects across factors such as disability, social class, political identity, sexuality, and/or race.

High-profile women like author JK Rowling often face abuse and threats on social media (Picture: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

For those of us ‘inside’ the social media space, it’s not simply enough to be non-abusive: we need to be anti-abusive. The Jo Cox Civility Commission identifies that abuse is having a detrimental effect on democracy. Addressing the issue requires a multi-faceted, cross-sector approach.

Thousands of abusive messages

There are plentiful examples of the appalling abuse received by high-profile women. Labour candidate Rosie Duffield withdrew from hustings events, citing safety concerns. Ms Duffield identified “constant trolling, spite and misrepresentation” over her position on gender/sex. A 31-year-old received suspended prison sentences for posting messages threatening to kill Ms Duffield and Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

Thirty-eight MSPs took part in a Scottish Parliament pilot scheme from June 2023 to March 2024. On average, each MSP received 12 abusive posts which were reported to Police Scotland. Approximately 8,000 comments were classed as abusive. Over 450 reached the criminal threshold. Typically, this abuse related to gender, sexual orientation, and/or race, legally protected characteristics. In 2023, female political figures across parties, including Hannah Bardell, Monica Lennon, Lorna Slater, and Annie Wells, spoke out about the abuse they had received and its impacts.

A similar story is seen in sport. High-profile sportspersons and media commentators Karen Carney, Eni Aluko, and Alex Scott have spoken openly about the abuse they have faced. Often this abuse encapsulates misogyny and/or racism. Frequently, the abuse is sexualised, including threats of sexual violence.

Regardless of one’s political leanings, socio-demographics, or footballing allegiance, it is impossible to justify these behaviours, perpetrated either by people or automated bot accounts manipulated by individuals or groups.

Machiavellian victim-blaming

Perhaps you’re thinking, “don’t go on social media then”. This is neither acceptable nor realistic. For public figures, social media presence is often essential. The issue is not the online presence of victims – it’s the abuse that’s problematic. Suggesting that victims should extricate themselves entirely is a subtle form of victim-blaming.

What do we know about victim-blaming? Our recent research, working with the universities of Edinburgh and the West of Scotland, found that this was influenced by victims’ initial posts (especially if these were interpreted as ‘negative’). Observers scoring highly in Machiavellianism were, unsurprisingly, more likely to victim-blame. Furthermore, abuse was seen as less severe the more Machiavellian the observers were and when the initial posts were negative.

Understanding these issues will help us address the abuse crisis. We can all be guilty of behaving poorly online, but we have a responsibility to do better and to support one another to demonstrate pro-social online behaviours.

Dr Chris Hand is a senior lecturer in psychology, University of Glasgow. X/Twitter: @drcjhand