Sexual Harassment Online

With increasing access to the Internet and the popularity of social media have come misuse of the technology to commit crimes. Sexual harassment refers to unwanted behavior of a sexual nature. Online sexual harassment can involve sexual comments or images or videos with sexual content that are posted or sent to threaten, exploit, or humiliate another individual. The anonymous nature of the Internet can create a sense of power in perpetrators. Harassment online can be direct, by sending messages to another individual, or indirect, through posting on a public platform. The reported victims of sexual harassment are typically women. This entry discusses the prevalence of online sexual harassment and efforts to prevent it.

Online sexual harassment is an extension of traditional forms of sexual harassment. A ...