A person receiving sexual threats, being coerced to participate in sexual behaviour online, or blackmailed with sexual content.
Published in Chapter:
The Prevalence of Online Violence Against Female Students at a Private University in Malawi
Donald Flywell Malanga (University of Livingstonia, Malawi)
Copyright: © 2022
|Pages: 15
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-9187-1.ch019
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.