47 Percent Of Americans Have Been Harassed Online, Report Finds
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new report finds that nearly 50 percent of Americans have been harassed online.
According to the Data & Society Research Institute, 47 percent of Americans who have used the internet have experienced online bullying and abuse. A whopping 72 percent have witnessed online harassment or abuse.
"A common theme throughout our findings is that young people under age 30 and sexual minorities (respondents who identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual) were generally more likely to witness and/or experience online harassment or abuse," the report reads. "Black, sexual minority, and young Americans – especially young women – are also less likely than others to say that people are mostly kind to each other online, and more likely to say they self-censor what they post online in order to avoid harassment."
The types of harassment fall into three categories: direct harassment, invasion of privacy and denial of access.
Thirty-six percent said they experienced direct harassment where people are being called offensive names, being threatened physically and being stalked.
Thirty percent dealt with invasion of privacy as they were the victims of unauthorized access and exposure of spreading information beyond their own control.
Seventeen percent were harassed through denial of access. That's when "someone uses the features of the technology or platform to harm the victim, usually by preventing access to essential digital tools or platforms."
"More than a quarter of Americans (27 percent) say they have at some point decided not to post something for fear of attracting harassment," the report states. "While many internet users who have not encountered harassment still say they have self-censored to avoid potential harassment, people who have seen or experienced harassment online are much more likely to self-censor for this reason than those who have not."
The report surveyed 3,002 Americans aged 15 and older. The report was conducted from May 17 to July 31.