New research from the eSafety Commission has revealed an escalating cycle of online harm in the public communities generally regarded as ‘at risk’.
The Commission said more than two thirds of Australians had suffered a negative experience online, and at-risk groups, including Indigenous Australians, those identifying as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex+ (LGBTQI+), and those living with a disability were often the biggest targets.
It said the data, from a national survey of over 3,700 Australians, had informed the development of a new Protecting Voices at Risk Online statement, which set out how eSafety would help the most at-risk Australians build digital resilience and provided practical strategies that could be used to de-escalate negative online situations.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the research also found the negative online experiences encountered by at-risk groups resulted in heightened rates of mental and emotional distress, compared to the rest of the Australian population.
“It makes sense that those more at risk in the real world are also at greater risk online,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“This report shows negative experiences online are pervasive, impacting a significant number of Australians,” she said.
“It also reveals Indigenous Australians, those identifying as LGBTQI+, and people living with a disability, are much more likely to be on the receiving end of hate speech, offensive names, having lies or rumours spread about them, or even having something said to provoke them into responding.”
Ms Inman Grant said the research combined with the Commission’s new statement provided a clearer picture, backed with data and investigative insights, of who was more at-risk online and why.
The eSafety Commission’s 25-page report Adults’ Negative Experiences Online can be accessed at this PS News link and its Protecting Voices at Risk Online statement at this link.
