Major Sources: Full Summary and Response
Citation
Ferganchick-Neufang, Julia K. “Virtual harassment: Women and online education.” First Monday 3.2 (2008).
Identification of the Source: Scholarly – Found through Google Scholar.
Summary
In this article, Ferganchick-Neufang and Julia discuss how being a target of massive online harassment, whether based on sex, race, or any other inherent issue, can be indescribably devastating and distressing. Ferganchick-Neufang and Julia further explain that most women and gender non-conforming persons are everyday victims of online aggravations. These range from invasive intimidations to assassination coercions from culprits. Most online spaces are traditionally viewed as male-dominated domains and the presence of women sometimes draws mixed reactions from chauvinist-minded individuals (5). The article suggests the provision of actionable guidance particularly for women who are the primary targets is long overdue. The authors also explicitly explains that the right to access digital platforms, just like any other integral right, should not be limited to sexual affiliations or on any other detrimental basis making the article easier to review.
Response (TBTI)
I find this article to be very informative with well explained facts. I find the strategies suggested in the article to help mitigate online harassment challenging to accomplish.
Compelling Evidence
“Research has shown that online female instructors are potential victims of virtual harassment”
Citation
Wolak, Janis, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and David Finkelhor. “Does online harassment constitute bullying? An exploration of online harassment by known peers and online-only contacts.” Journal of adolescent health 41.6 (2007): S51-S58.
Identification of the Source: Scholarly – Found through Google Scholar.
Summary
In this article, Wolak and company describes online harassment as a digital right issue that must be taken seriously given its potential devastating effects on the physical and psychological wellbeing of the victims (Bartow and Ann 32). The article suggest the crafting of relevant legislations or policies that are necessary in mitigating these effects without being accused of violating personal policy and space is challenging (Bartow and Ann 32). However, the author asserts that there are other ways that can be applied in controlling and reducing any form of online harassment among women. Wolak further explains that online harassment mostly occurs when the internet user attracts the attention of the wrong person and as a result is obliged to endure unprecedented level of hostility or bullying (52). Some of the women and girls are forced to endure attacks on private lives among other very disturbing comments that can ultimately be detrimental that amounts to online bullying.
Response (TBTI)
The article is very revealing with statistics on the instances of online bullying explicitly reiterated. The article will be instrumental in my further research on online harassment of women.
Compelling Evidence
“In many cases, the concept of “bullying” or “cyber-bullying” may be inappropriate for online interpersonal offenses”. “We suggest using “online harassment,” with disclaimers that it does constitute bullying unless it is part of or related to offline bullying”.
Citation
Roese, Bailey. “Defamation, Humiliation and Lost Reputations: Mitigating the Damage to Women Harassed Online.” Women’s Rts. L. Rep. 35 (2013): 123.
Identification of the Source: Scholarly – Found through Google Scholar
Summary
This article by Roese and Bailey explains why when sharing sensitive and private information, one should take precautions not to be too ‘open’ to strangers as a way of mitigating the occurrence of online harassment. In addition, when signing up to social websites or any other online space, Roese and Bailey advices that a different email address should be used other than the personal email account to avoid spam. One should also not feel obligated to divulge such sensitive information as birthdates when registering in these social networking websites (59). The article also suggests that in the online profile, the photo used should not be ones true identity to avoid attracting unnecessary attentions.
Response (TBTI)
The article is equally instructive and will be useful in my further research on online harassment.
Compelling Evidence
“In acting so, the unique and potent feature of the internet and the way it is often misused, abused and misunderstood is portrayed”
Citation
Finn, Jerry. “A survey of online harassment at a university campus.” Journal of Interpersonal violence 19.4 (2004): 468-483.
Identification of the Source: Scholarly – Found through Google Scholar.
Summary
Finn and Jerry echoes the fact that women internet users should be empowered to act for themselves instead of relying on digital rights execution team to protect them from these harassments. The journal is on survey of cases of online harassment and suggests the introduction of such tools that reports and controls harassments or unwelcomed comment and that they should be placed under the control of the online users. For instance, the social networking websites should have a configured blocking application that also filters the harassing comments. The sites should also have automated applications that allow users to carry out effective tracking and restricting the online obtainability of personal data and information. Correspondingly, Finn and Jerry suggest that an application that stores the evidence of the harassing comments will be useful to the digital rights enforcement agencies in contemplating a legal redress against the accused. The usability and secrecy online application tools should be improved as this will be crucial in controlling both offline and online harassments.
Response (TBTI)
The article is very interesting and edifying with well stated facts and satisfying explanations.
Compelling Evidence
“The harassing messages all originated from strangers, acquaintances, and significant others”.
Minor Sources: Brief Overview and Documentation
Correct Citation
Bartow, Ann. “Internet Defamation as Profit Center: The Monetization of Online Harassment.” Harvard Journal of Law and Gender 32.2 (2009).
Identification of Source Type: Scholarly – Found through Google Scholar.
Brief description
This article gives a general overview of the functions of the agencies that deals with law enforcements who should be more valiant on the cases of online harassment to be able to identify the potential threats and culprits. Passing legislations on online defamation is a thoughtful idea that can be beneficial both in the short and long runs. According to this article, the courts must also start being at ease and ready to handle cases that involves online activities. Women and other victims should be encouraged to be vocal against online harassment to help draw the attention of the authorities on the overwhelming effects of this vice. Talking and standing against online provocation will help decrease the frequency of occurrences of this unfortunate behavior.
Compelling Evidence
“A woman who is aggressively sexually harassed while walking in a public place can turn to the police. A woman who is sexually harassed on the job can turn to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or hire a lawyer and file suit.”
Correct Citation
Gutek, Barbara A., and Bruce Morasch. “Sex‐ratios, sex‐role spillover, and sexual harassment of women at work.” Journal of Social Issues 38.4 (2002): 55-74.
Identification of Source Type: Scholarly – Found through Google Scholar
Brief description
This article stresses that women online platform users should be made aware of the possible cases of harassment and how to control the probability of occurrence as a way of moderating the effects of this vice. Failing to respond to such harassing comments will discourage the committers who may feel being ignored and foolish and stop posting more abusive comments. Gutek and Barbara explains that educating the online users on their cyber civil rights and the possibility of initiating a legal suit against the offenders will be crucial in mitigating the effects of this heinous act.
Compelling Evidence
“Thus, women in male-dominated work experience one kind of sex-role spillover. They are “role deviates” who are treated differently from other (male) work-role occupants; they are aware of this differential treatment, and they think it is directed at them as individual women rather than as work-role occupants”
Correct Citation
Fitzgerald, Louise F., et al. “The incidence and dimensions of sexual harassment in academia and the workplace.” Journal of vocational behavior 32.2 (2008): 152-175.
Identification of Source Type: Scholarly – Found through Google Scholar
Brief description
This article by Fitzgerald and Louise explains that extreme levels of online harassments eventually results in offline stalking, mental and physical assaults among other negative effects on the victims. Conventionally, women are viewed to have limited socio-economic and political influences making them potential targets of online stalkers and harassments that are uncalled for (12). The internet is a very powerful medium of communication that is mostly used in coordinating actions and sometimes used by these harassers to intimidate the victims. The article emphasizes on the fact that fighting to control and eliminate online harassment will never be an easy task, but it is worth trying given the increasing number of victims and the potential shattering effects. The article acknowledge that the world should appreciate online harassment as a serious issue that requires global attention and appropriate mitigation strategies. Women being the most vulnerable group should remain vigilant and take necessary actions and precautions towards reducing the effect of online harassment.
Compelling Evidence
“Although now recognized as an important barrier to women’s career development, sexual harassment has proven difficult to study due to the lack of a commonly accepted definition and any standardized instrumentation that could provide comparable results across studies”.
Works Cited
Bartow, Ann. “Internet Defamation as Profit Center: The Monetization of Online Harassment.” Harvard Journal of Law and Gender 32.2 (2009).Ferganchick-Neufang, Julia K. “Virtual harassment: Women and online education.” First Monday 3.2 (2008).
Finn, Jerry. “A survey of online harassment at a university campus.” Journal of Interpersonal violence 19.4 (2004): 468-483.
Fitzgerald, Louise F., et al. “The incidence and dimensions of sexual harassment in academia and the workplace.” Journal of vocational behavior 32.2 (2008): 152-175.
Gutek, Barbara A., and Bruce Morasch. “Sex‐ratios, sex‐role spillover, and sexual harassment of women at work.” Journal of Social Issues 38.4 (2002): 55-74.
Roese, Bailey. “Defamation, Humiliation and Lost Reputations: Mitigating the Damage to Women Harassed Online.” Women’s Rts. L. Rep. 35 (2013): 123.
Wolak, Janis, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and David Finkelhor. “Does online harassment constitute bullying? An exploration of online harassment by known peers and online-only contacts.” Journal of adolescent health 41.6 (2007): S51-S58.