Abstract
This chapter presents findings of the study that investigated the prevalence of online violence against female students at the University of Livingstonia in Malawi. The study noted that female students experienced online bullying, online harassment, online defamation, online stalking, sexual exploitation, online hate speech, and revenge pornography. Perpetrators used digital platforms such Facebook, WhatsApp, dating sites, and smartphones to carry out their evil acts. The motivations by perpetrators were driven by revenge, anger, jealousy, and sexual desire, with the intentions to harm the victims socially, psychologically, academically, and physically. The female students confronted and blocked the perpetrator or left the online platform as a coping mechanism. Overall, the study confirmed that the prevalence of online violence against female students is burgeoning in universities in Malawi and urgent strategies are needed to address the vice.
TopIntroduction
The increasing integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in higher education has revolutionized the education system globally (Šincek, Duvnjak, & Milić, 2017). Students in both private and public universities and colleges are now able to use internet, social media, mobile devices, and other gadgets for research, learning and other academic activities (Faucher, Jackson, & Cassidy, 2014). However, the same ICT tools are also being used to inflict harm on female students. This has led to the emergence of online violence(a form of gender based violence) which has a physical, psychological, social, and economic consequences to the victims such as young women and girls (Countering online violence against women, 2015). United Nations (UN) Broadband Commission (2015) indicates that online violence against female students is just as damaging to female students as physical gender-based violence does. The report further estimates that 73% of female students and other young women have endured many forms of online violence, and are 27 times more likely than males to be harassed online.
Globally, literature suggests that young women aged 18-24 in higher education institutions, disproportionately experience severe types of online violence inform of online bullying, harassment, online stalking and online sexual harassment. Despite the growing recognition of the online violence that female students and young women in general experience, comprehensive research studies that tackle online violence against female studenst in higher education remains scanty. This implies that more studies are need to further conceptualise the study phenominon.
By the end of 2020, Africa recorded an 8% increase in ICT penetration (GSMA, 2020) compared to 20% in 2015 (UN Broadband Commission, 2015). Despite this exciting ICT penetration rates, the continent has not been immune to increased online violence against women including female students in universities and colleges. African countries such as Kenyan, Nigerian and South Africa are becoming the fast growing hubs of online violence activity. In particular, 33% prevalence of online violence against young women and girls in Kenya and South Africa has been reported. The study also indicated that mobile phones and social media are currently the major digital tools used to perpetuate online violence against young women and girls which are largely university/college students in most emerging African countries (European Institute of Gender Equality, 2017). Though, efforts to tackle such online behaviours are emerging at a larger scale, it remains an extensive and widely under-reported online human rights violation in African countries (Maundu, 2020).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Online Stalking: Involves repeated incidents, which may or may not individually be innocuous acts, but combined to undermine the victim’s sense of safety and cause distress, fear, or alarm.
Online Violence Against Female Students: Online violence refers to a type of gender-based violence perpetrated through electronic communication and the internet.
Online Hate Speech: Is a type of speech that takes place online with the purpose of attacking a person or a group based on their race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or gender.
Online Defamation: Involves online publication of a false statement about a person that results in some kind of harm, including financial losses or damage to the subject's reputation.
Online Bullying: Entails receiving unwanted, offensive, sexually explicit emails or SMS messages; inappropriate, offensive advances on social networking websites or in Internet chat rooms.
Online Harassment: Is a harassment by means of email, text (or online) messages or the internet.
Non-Consensual Pornography (Revenge Porno): Involves online distribution of sexually graphic photographs or videos without the consent of the individual in the images.
Online Sexual Exploitation: A person receiving sexual threats, being coerced to participate in sexual behaviour online, or blackmailed with sexual content.