What are the 5 most common forms of digital violence (and how to protect yourself)

Two hands connected by a white charging cable connected to a smartphone — caption, Digital violence poses a growing threat to women and girls

- Author, BBC World Service
December 11, 2025

Digital violence is one of the most increasing forms of abuse that keeps women away from the internet. Of harassment and troll until Deepfakes and the doxxingEvery year millions of women and girls are virtually harassed.

According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the United Nations’ specialized agency for digital technologies, around six billion people worldwide use the Internet, and 280 million more men than women were connected this year.

According to the United Nations, women, girls and gender non-conforming people are more likely to be victims of violence because of their gender and suffer more severe and long-lasting consequences.

Studies around the world show that up to 58% of women and girls have been victims of online violence, according to the UN Women’s Organization.

Five common forms of digital violence

A screen with a smartphone and two conversation illustrations — caption, Famous women, activists and journalists are more likely to be targeted by trolls.

1. Trolling

He troll This involves intentionally posting provocative or offensive messages online to upset someone, provoke a reaction, or cause problems.

According to the Center for Combating Digital Hate (CCDH), a British-American NGO working to stop the spread of hate speech and misinformation online, there are two main types of trolls:

Trolls target public figures with large social media followings to increase abuse;

Trolls are motivated by “negative social potency”: enjoyment of the harm done to others.

There are many reasons why people troll online and the difference varies from troll to troll.

Trolls often enjoy annoying those who attack them. So when her victim responds, it only encourages her to move on.

Trolling can cause high levels of anxiety and low self-esteem in the victim.

2. Doxxing

The silhouette of a woman sitting in front of a small window. — caption, Sharing sensitive personal information can cause stress and even lead to violence.

He doxxing refers to the disclosure of private information about people online, usually with malicious intent.

It can have real-life consequences, such as harassment, threats, and even physical violence.

In 2021, “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling claimed to be a victim of doxing after a photo taken outside her home that revealed her address circulated online.

However, police said no action would be taken against the activists who pointed it out.

As of April 2022, Facebook and Instagram (owned by Meta) prohibit sharing a person’s home address, even if it appears in public records or news feeds.

Users can still share their own address, but not others.

This change was made following recommendations from the Meta Oversight Board to strengthen privacy protections and reduce the risks of doxxing.

3. Deepfakes

Stressed woman looking at the laptop screen — caption, Many women do not go online for security reasons.

The Deepfakes These are videos, images or audio clips created using artificial intelligence to make them look real.

They can be used for fun or even for scientific research purposes, but sometimes they are also used to impersonate politicians or world leaders in order to intentionally mislead the public.

They are also increasingly used to create pornographic videos or images of celebrities or ordinary people.

A recent police survey in the UK found that “one in four believe there is nothing wrong with creating and sharing sexual deepfakes, or feel neutral about it, even if the person depicted has not given consent.”

Sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent is a criminal offense in the UK, now enshrined in the Online Safety Act 2023. This applies to fabricated or manipulated images, including deepfakes.

Many other countries, such as Australia and Ireland, have similar laws to protect people from the misuse of intimate images.

4. Personal care

A man with a covered face looks at a laptop — caption, Some online bullies hide their identities to gain the trust of children and young people.

Children and young people can be the target of manipulation Personal care on-line.

Perpetrators can use online platforms to build a trusting relationship with minors and mistreat them.

This abuse can take place online or the perpetrator can meet with the child in person to abuse them.

Abuse can also occur when others record, upload, or share harmful content online.

Whether abuse occurs online or offline, it can have a lasting impact on a child’s overall well-being, leading to anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, or even suicide.

5. Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying or online harassment occurs when someone is exposed to harassing behavior on social media, messaging apps, online games, and other places online.

Harassment can occur both online and offline at the same time, and sometimes the person perpetrating it is known to the victim.

It’s also common to be harassed by people you don’t know personally but know from online communities, games, or social media. The perpetrator can also be anonymous.

How to stay safe

A person is holding a smartphone that displays the message “Fraud Alert” on the screen — caption, Technology companies and regulators are taking measures to curb cybercrime

Here are some tips to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of online abuse, according to the UN.

Think twice before posting or sharing anything online: it could stay online forever and be used to harm you later.

Limit the information you post online, especially personal information like your address and phone number.

Warn your friends and acquaintances not to publish personal information about you.

Learn more about your social media privacy settings, including who can see your information and options to block/hide content.

Disable geolocation on all your accounts.

Report suspicious or threatening accounts.

Alarming risk

To effectively prevent online violence facilitated by technology, it is important to understand its characteristics and its impact on women and girls, says the UN.

A 2021 UN Women study in the Arab States region found that 60% of female internet users experienced online violence this year.

A European study found that women are 27 times more likely to experience online harassment than men, and another analysis found that 92% of women said online violence negatively affected their well-being.

Women in public life, such as politicians, journalists and human rights defenders, are particularly targeted, and the risks are even greater for black women, LGBTQI+ people and women with disabilities, according to the UN.

The organization launched a campaign to eliminate digital violence against all women and girls until December 10th.

The campaign calls on governments to protect personal data and criminalize digital violence, and calls on major tech companies to remove harmful content.