Cyber Violence Against Women – an Underestimated Danger

With increasing digitalization, the number of cases of cyber violence against women is on the rise. Until now, there has been a lack of knowledge to sufficiently understand this form of violence. Magdalena Habringer, researcher at the Research Center Social Work, together with Andrea Hoyer-Neuhold and Sandra Messner from the ZSW - Center for Social Research & Science Didactics, was able to close this knowledge gap to some extent.

Research Derived from Practice

The researchers spent around three years working on their study "(No) Space" – Study on Cyber Violence in (Ex) Intimate Relationships, conducting interviews with victims and experts and finally compiling their findings. The impetus for the FFG project came from practical experience: "In my work with violence protection centers, I have noticed that more and more women are affected by cyber violence from partners or ex-partners. The strategies used by the perpetrators are sometimes perfidious. We need to raise awareness of this danger – at a social and official level," says Magdalena Habringer.

Creating Awareness, Imparting Knowledge

If the perpetrator is or was your own partner, it is more likely that they know the passwords of those affected and therefore have access to devices, data and accounts that a stranger would not have. Moreover, there are often dependencies or joint children making it more difficult to separate or seek help. In addition, there is a strong social trivialization of digital assaults. The extent to which victims of cyber violence are affected by this trivialization became clear in the interviews. "Especially in the beginning, cyber violence is not always recognized as such. In the beginning, some interviewees were still convinced that the constant questions ‘Where are you?’ or ‘What are you doing?’ were an expression of love," says Magdalena Habringer.

Digital attacks can take different forms. "Our study shows that cyber violence is usually sexualized. Often nude pictures are published or sexualized humiliation takes place on social media – sometimes with manipulation of the women's social environment. People in the victim's social circle sometimes become accomplices, for example when friends of the victim begin to insult them because of the nude pictures published by the perpetrator," says Magdalena Habringer. "It is difficult for women affected by cyber violence to find a safe place to retreat to without completely giving up their smartphone or social media."

Joint Action Urgently Needed

Additional IT support and increased personnel resources at institutions such as the public prosecutor's office and the police are needed to counter technical developments and to be able to legally punish cyber violence. Securing evidence in cases of cyber violence is challenging and time-consuming, as digital attacks are sometimes difficult to trace and complex. Awareness-raising and training measures are needed to meet these challenges. Networking between the relevant institutions and social discourse is particularly important in order to raise awareness of the issue. Those affected often only express assumptions or vague perceptions about what they have experienced. The strategy of the perpetrators is precisely to manipulate the perception of those affected.

Victims can use the counseling services of the violence protection centers, the counseling center of the Vienna Women's Shelters Association and the 24-hour women's emergency hotline of the City of Vienna to break the cycle of fear and helplessness.

The project was financed by the Federal Ministry of Finance. Responsibility for the project lies with FFG Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH/KIRAS. The study "(No) Space - Cyber Violence against Women in (Ex) Intimate Relationships" is available here (only in German).

Degree programs in the department Social Work: