Women And Online Harassment

Catherine Devine, 22, reads instant messages on her laptop screen, Sept. 26, 2011. Devine had her first brush with an online bully in seventh grade, before she'd even ventured onto the Internet.  - (AP Photo/Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke)

Catherine Devine, 22, reads instant messages on her laptop screen, Sept. 26, 2011. Devine had her first brush with an online bully in seventh grade, before she'd even ventured onto the Internet.

(AP Photo/Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke)

Women And Online Harassment

Cyber stalking. Revenge porn. These forms of online harassment disproportionately target women. Some state lawmakers are taking action, but free speech advocates are concerned. Online harassment of women and why it's so hard to address.

GamerGate has put the issue of women and online harassment in the headlines. It started as an ex-boyfriend’s rant and turned into a debate about the video game industry. Alongside the legitimate discussion about, there emerged a campaign of cyber threats against female game developers and critics. Anonymous messages on Twitter became so violent that three women have fled their homes, while others were forced offline. Yet, no arrests have been made, and the cyber attacks continue. This case is extreme, but it reflects an experience that is not unique. A study from 2012 found that one in five adults in the U.S. has suffered online harassment –- and the majority of victims are women. Today on the show: a look at online harassment of women and why it's so hard to address.

Guests

Danielle Citron

professor at University of Maryland's Carey School of Law and author of "Hate Crimes in Cyberspace"

Lee Rowland

staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project

Amanda Hess

staff writer at Slate

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