Discrimination, abuse, exploitation, stalking, harassment or cyberbullying reproduce gender-based violence and affect the offline lives of victims/survivors, evidencing the impact of virtual and technological spaces on everyday life. Online gender violence is a continuation of offline violence, which is increasingly widespread and virulent in a society with a patriarchal structure.
A study conducted in 51 countries around the world found that 38% of women over age 18 have suffered online violence. In that context, understanding the mechanisms driving such violence allows us to recognise each type of aggression. In this case, I want to emphasise stalking facilitated by technology, a form of violence that feeds on online information, which is on the rise in our hyperconnected world, and continued gender-based aggression seeking to control the lives of women and LGBTQI+ persons.
Stalking exists in the offline space as a form of intrusion and harassment. It is a person’s feeling of discomfort in relation to another person or situation, where they have the impression of being followed or controlled in their movements by someone external without their consent – for example when speaking or writing on social media or online chats or administering their bank accounts online – and in some cases it can be used to exert emotional, physical and digital power over the victim.
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Illustration: Laura Mercedes Ibáñez López