Catherine Waerner has a couple of interesting papers on Thwarting Sexual Harassment on the Internet. An excerpt from her essay:
Sexual Harassment is the use of sexualised intimidation, insult and threat to exert control over women. On the Internet, such behavior is more common and more outrageous than in the physical world because of the anonymity of the communications medium and the disproportionate number of men using it. Stopping such behavior is important both for the equanimity of individual women accessing the Net and for the health of the Online environment generally. A search through several types of theory has elicited some interesting tactics for dealing with such harassment. A three-part strategy directly confronting harassers has been developed, along with other tactics for preventing and diffusing harassment and for eradicating it on a wider scale.
This particular paper is a scholarly work, often delving into social and societal norms, consequences, and the like.
I like scholarship, so personally, I found it an interesting read.
However, women who are in the process of being sexually harassed on the Internet might find this particular paper more interesting, by the same author :
1. Ignore him!He is beneath your notice.2. Say NO!- Describe specifically which language is unacceptable.- Call on a moral or ethical reason explaining your view- make a specific demand asking that it stop.3. Seek Support!- Tell the site admin. & his ISP. Tell your friends. You are not alone or vulnerable, but supported and empowered!
All good advice, and well worth the visit.
Posts
