Girls belong online, not on edge: Unite against digital violence

For many adolescent girls, technology and the online world shape their friendships, communities and daily lives in countless positive ways. It’s where they learn, create and explore the world around them.

It’s their right to seize every opportunity to grow and thrive in our rapidly evolving digital landscape. It’s also their right to do so safely, without risking exposure to hateful content because of their gender. Yet, digital violence against adolescent girls has become so alarmingly pervasive that many now say they “expect” to experience it.

From online hate speech and image-based abuse to doxxing and cyberstalking, technology-facilitated gender-based violence is wide-ranging. As information and communication technologies rapidly evolve, so too do new forms of violence. And what happens online, all too often translates into real-world violence. 

Sharing intimate images online is increasingly seen as the new normal in relationships, including for adolescent girls. Yet too many don’t realize how, in the wrong hands, these images can circulate in perpetuity and quickly be weaponized through blackmail and extortion. The situation is likely to worsen as artificial intelligence enables new forms of harm, whether through manipulated photos and videos – known as “deepfakes” – or chatbots that promote isolation from real-world friends and family.

Parents, teachers and caregivers need to be more aware of the extent of digital violence and be equipped with the tools to prevent and respond to harm. 

Forcing girls offline to avoid violence is not the solution – it excludes them from learning skills that will define their futures. Instead, proactively engaging with adolescents can help them realize their digital rights and learn how to protect themselves. Boys and girls alike must be taught the meaning and importance of consent and mutual respect both offline and online.

Ultimately, real protection comes from timely responses to reported harms; technologies designed and regulated according to safe, ethical and rights-based principles; and legal frameworks and systems that hold perpetrators to account and ensure justice for survivors.

Adolescent girls deserve a full and fulfilling online presence.

On this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and every day, let us unite to end digital violence and build a future where technology empowers – not endangers – women and girls.