Women scholars' experiences with online harassment and abuse: Self-protection, resistance, acceptance, and self-blame. (December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Veletsianos, George; Houlden, Shandell; Hodson, Jaigris; Gosse, Chandell
• Is Part Of: New media & society. Volume 20:Number 12(2018)
• Page Start: 4689
• Page End: 4708
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Subjects: Abuse and harassment -- faculty harassment -- female harassment -- networked scholarship -- online harassment -- online participation -- public scholarship -- scholars' online experiences; Mass media -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Mass media and culture -- Periodicals; Information technology -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Internet -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 302.2305
• DOI: 10.1177/1461444818781324
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-4448

Abstract

Although scholars increasingly use online platforms for public, digital, and networked scholarship, the research examining their experiences of harassment and abuse online is scant. In this study, we interviewed 14 women scholars who experienced online harassment in order to understand how they coped with this phenomenon. We found that scholars engaged in reactive, anticipatory, preventive, and proactive coping strategies. In particular, scholars engaged in strategies aimed at self-protection and resistance, while often responding to harassment by acceptance and self-blame. These findings have important implications for practice and research, including practical recommendations for personal, institutional, and platform responses to harassment, as well as scholarly recommendations for future research into scholars' experiences of harassment.