LibGuides: eSafety: Online abuse

Online safety

We won’t all be safe online, all the time. Anyone of us might have a negative experience, ranging from relatively low impact issues like mild criticism or feedback to more damaging experiences such as cyberbullying, image-based abuse or being scammed.

The two most common types of online abuse for uni students are adult cyber abuse and image-based abuse.

What is online abuse?

Cyber abuse is when technology is used to harass, threaten, intimidate or humiliate someone with the intention of hurting them psychologically, socially or even physically.

It commonly happens on social media, online chat forums, texts, emails, and online discussion boards.

Adult cyber abuse

Adult cyber abuse is online communication to or about someone which is menacing, harassing or offensive, and causes serious harm to their physical or mental health.

It can take place in online classrooms, chat services, social media, text messages, emails, message boards and online forums.

The following are types of adult cyber abuse:

Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is the use of technology to stalk or repeatedly harass a partner, ex-partner or family member. It is often accompanied by offline stalking.

Trolling

Trolling is when someone is deliberately provocative or inflammatory online and waits for people to take the bait.

Fake accounts and impersonations

Online abusers may set up fake social media accounts pretending to be someone they are not to bully, harass or otherwise abuse people.

Online hate

Online hate includes targeted and persistent behaviour aimed at ridiculing, insulting, damaging or humiliating a person.

Doxing and swatting

Doxing occurs when someone’s personal details are shared or publicised online. Swatting occurs when an abuser makes a hoax call to emergency services.

Image-based abuse

Image-based abuse is when someone shares, or threatens to share, an intimate photo or video online of you without your consent. The images can be real photos or videos, or ones that have been changed or altered.

Image-based abuse is against the law.

Examples of image-based abuse include:

Taking a nude or sexual image of another person without their permission
Sharing a nude or sexual image of another person without their permission
Posting a nude or sexual image of another person online without their permission
Photoshopping a person's image onto a sexually explicit photograph or video
Filming a sexual assault
Sharing images of a sexual assault
Threatening to distribute nude or sexual images of another person, even if these images don't exist
Accessing another person's personal computer files and stealing their intimate images.

Sexual extortion is another type of image-based abuse. It is a form of blackmail where someone threatens to share intimate images of another person online unless they give in to the demands.

Image-based abuse can also be called ‘revenge pornography’. However, revenge is not always the motivator behind the image-based abuse. People might use this abuse for different reasons, including for money or to embarrass or control another person.

Statistics show that women are twice as likely as men to have their nude/sexual images shared without consent (15% of women vs 7% of men). Also, a high rate of young adults aged 18 to 24 are likely to have experienced image-based abuse (24% of young women and 16% of young men).

What can you do?

Collect evidence

It is important to keep evidence of the abusive messages or harmful content, such as by taking screenshots or saving webpage addresses (URLs), in case you need to report it to the service or platform, the eSafety Commissioner or the police. Keep the evidence in a separate file. You can delete it at any time if you decide not to report it.
The eSafety Commissioner's advice on how to collect evidence may help you.

Report the harmful content

To have the harmful content removed quickly, report it to the service or platform where it was shared. Many services and platforms, such as social media and online games, have reporting links that can be found in The eSafety Guide.
If the content is considered adult cyber abuse and the platform does not remove it within 48 hours, you can report it to the eSafety Commissioner using the online form and they will help to have it removed.
If a fellow student is the abuser, report to ECU via the Report Sexual Harassment or Sexual Assault form or lodge a complaint with the university

Stop further contact

When dealing with abusive or hurtful messages or comments, it is important to not react or engage with the person responsible. This is because they may be trying to provoke a reaction and will continue to do so if they are successful. Instead, take steps to protect yourself by using in-app functions such as ignore, mute or block the person or account. If they reappear under a different name, try blocking them again.
Reviewing your privacy settings can also be helpful in limiting who has access to your content and information.

Get more help

Experiencing adult cyber abuse can lead to a range of negative emotions, including fear, anxiety, anger, and hopelessness, which can also cause trauma and depression. The effects can be temporary or long-lasting. It can be difficult to reach out for help, but talking to someone about it can make a big difference.
Sharing your experience with a friend or loved one can provide emotional support and understanding, which can help to alleviate stress. They may also provide a different perspective that can help you to feel less overwhelmed. They can also assist you in reporting adult cyber abuse to eSafety, getting help from police, or finding legal help.
If you don't have someone close to talk to or want expert help, a counselling service like Psychological Counselling Support and Student Success can offer immediate, non-judgmental support and advice.
You can also report it to ECU Security and/or IT, particularly if your ECU email or connection to ECU is being targeted.