Northwest Iowa — Nearly half of all internet users have experienced some form of online harassment or bullying. And an Iowa State University researcher is part of a team studying the issue.
Rey Junco, an I-S-U professor of education and human-computer interaction, says this study is in its early stages and they’re still working to develop a good definition.
It can include: cyberbullying, racial slurs and sexually-charged comments in multiple venues, from discussion forums and news websites to video games and social media. While some 140-million of us have been harassed online, there’s still much to be learned about the root causes of such harassment, the impact and how best to intervene and prevent it from happening.
Sometimes referred to as “revenge porn,” he’s studying how the re-sharing of such private video or photos can have tremendous personal and social consequences.
Some people turn to harassment as a weapon as they’re more anonymous online and may be more likely to say something using a keyboard that they wouldn’t say face-to-face. In order to best study the issue, researchers are working to connect with people who have left social media because of harassment. Some schools and news organizations may shut down comment sections or ban access to certain websites due to harassment, which he says may do more harm than good.
