The Role of Social Media Abuse in Gender-Based Violence: The Challenge of Vituperative Communication in the Age of New Technology

近年来，人们越来越多地认识到网上发生的虐待行为的程度。这种虐待带有明显的性别特征，语气暴力。我想探讨网络虐待对现实世界中基于性别的暴力的影响，以及刑事司法系统的反应。虽然这个问题的重要性与日俱增，但它在媒体上的突出地位并没有与学术调查的增加相匹配。在英国，这一点尤其明显，在英国，刑事司法机构在很大程度上对个人在数字空间互动方式的变化所构成的威胁做出了反应，这些现象的新兴性质造成了政策真空。我将调查社交媒体在多大程度上创造/影响了一种纵容基于性别的暴力的氛围，以及它在冒犯方面的影响是否得到了充分的认识。我认为，这项研究非常适合WR DTP数据、通信和新技术(DCT)途径，因为它分析了通过新技术媒介进行的滥用通信的影响。我的研究将考虑这种技术对社会的变化影响，特别是探索(主要)男性如何使用新技术来交流基于性别的虐待。我热衷于探索社交媒体平台提供的更多、往往是匿名的社交互动机会如何改变社交行为者之间的权力关系，特别是在性别方面；特别是考虑到这与现实世界中的冒犯行为之间的相互作用。对文献的回顾表明，现有的研究很少就如何解决这种虐待问题提出建议，也很少探索网络虐待如何影响私人领域的家庭暴力。因此，我将我的研究问题框定如下：1.虐待对女性与数字世界的互动有什么影响？2.通过社交媒体的虐待如何转移到现实世界？3.过去十年里虐待的增加对家庭暴力的程度有影响吗？4.社交媒体公司和刑事司法机构可以做些什么来保护个人？这将是一项主要是定性的研究，采用多方法研究方法。实证研究方法将包括半结构化访谈和在线调查。我打算利用我在英国政治制度中拥有的实质性联系，第一手探索妇女在国家和地方政府中参与公共领域的经历。鉴于网络虐待超越了政党背景，我打算使用滚雪球抽样技术来增加研究参与者的数量，并实现跨党派分析。我打算将这种对公共领域的分析与往往隐藏的家庭暴力世界进行比较，与相关组织建立联系，以确定参与者。当半结构化采访难以安排时，将使用在线、基于网络的调查，使用调查猴子等数据收集机制。还将审问一系列二手资料来源，包括犯罪统计数据和法庭记录。我相信，WR DTP提供的培训将加强我的方法，特别是与旨在加强新形式数据探索的技术有关的培训，包括研究社交媒体、社交媒体数据挖掘、社会语言学和在数字环境下进行实地考察。时间表：第一年：社会研究硕士第二年：文献综述设计理论框架概述方法论阐述伦理考量决定数据收集和分析方法确定研究参与者设计数据收集方法计划数据收集第三年：数据收集数据分析修改文献综述和方法论第四年：最终数据分析写作

In recent years, there has been increased recognition of the extent of abuse that occurs online. This abuse has a distinctly gendered character and is violent in tone. I wish to explore the impact that online abuse has on gender-based violence in the real world, and the response from the criminal justice system. Whilst this issue is growing in importance, its prominence in the media has not been matched by an increase in academic investigation. This is particularly apparent in the UK context, where criminal justice institutions have been largely reactive to the threat posed by changes to the way that individuals interact in the digital space, with the emerging nature of the phenomena creating a policy vacuum. I will investigate the extent to which social media has created / influenced a permissive climate towards gender-based violence, and whether its influence in offending is being adequately recognised. I believe that this study fits well within the WR DTP Data, Communication, and New Technologies (DCT) pathway, given its analysis of the impact of abusive communication executed through the medium of new technology. My research will consider the changing influence of this technology on society, and in particular will explore how (mainly) men are using new technology to communicate gender-based abuse. I am keen to explore how the opportunity for increased, often anonymised social interaction offered by social media platforms changes power relationships between social actors, particularly in regard to gender; considering specifically the interplay that this has with offending in the real world. A review of the literature has revealed that existing research offers few recommendations as to how this abuse should be addressed, and little exploration of how online abuse influences domestic violence in the private sphere. I have therefore framed my research questions as follows:1. What effect does abuse have on women's interactions with the digital world?2. How does abuse via social media transfer into the real world?3. Has the increase in abuse over the last decade had an effect on the level of domestic violence?4. What could social media companies and criminal justice agencies do to protect individuals?This will be a largely qualitative study, employing a multi-method research approach. Empirical research techniques will include semi-structured interviews and online surveys. I intend to draw upon the substantial links that I have within the British political system, to explore first hand the experiences of women participating in the public sphere, both in national and local government. Given that online abuse transcends party political affiliation, I intend to use a snowball sampling technique to increase the number of research participants, and achieve a cross-party analysis. I intend to compare this analysis of the public sphere with the often hidden world of domestic abuse, building links with relevant organisations to identify participants. Online, web-based surveys will be employed when semi-structured interviews are hard to arrange, using a data collection mechanism such as Survey Monkey. A range of secondary sources will also be interrogated, including crime statistics and court records. I believe that the training offered by the WR DTP will strengthen my methodology, particularly in relation to techniques designed to enhance the exploration of new forms of data, including researching social media, social media data mining, sociolinguistics, and undertaking fieldwork in digital contexts. Timeline:Year 1: MA in Social Research Year 2: Literature reviewDevise theoretical frameworkOutline methodologyAddress ethical considerationsDecide data collection and analysis methodsIdentify research participantsDevise data collection methodsSchedule data collectionYear 3: Data collectionData analysis Revise literature review and methodologyYear 4: Final Data AnalysisWrite Up