Analyzing Social Media's Impact on Cyber Harassment of Young Females

This research report investigates the impact of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat on cyber violence against girls and adolescent females. It explores the rising cases of cyber harassment, online bullying, and various forms of abuse, including abusive messages, sharing explicit content, and encouraging self-harm. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, incorporating a literature review, primary data collection, and ethical considerations. The findings highlight the negative effects of social media on young females, including depression and feelings of unsafety, and offers recommendations to mitigate these issues through increased awareness, reporting mechanisms, and policy interventions. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for a feminist lexicon of online violence and strategic approaches to combat cyberbullying effectively.

Running head: CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
How social media regulates cyber violence against girls and adolescent females
Name of the Student
Name of the University

2
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
Abstract
This research has been done analyzing impact of social media in growing cyber violence
for females and girls. The research has been focused on the cyber harassment done on females
through social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snap Chat. The aim of the
research has been focused on analyzing the impact of social media regulating cyber violence
against girls and adolescent females. There are all out five parts in the research. These sections
incorporate Introduction, Literature survey, Research Methodology, Data collection and analysis
and Conclusion and suggestions. The principal section is Introduction that bargains with the
essential foundation of the research. This part incorporate diagram of the digital viciousness over
internet based life to pre-adult young ladies and females. The point, goals and research questions
have been talked about in the part.
The second part manages the writing survey of different written works identified with
effect of online networking on immature young ladies and females. Different examines on this
point have been concentrated in this part. The components improving digital harassing over the
internet-based social networking to females have been examined. The third section manages the
research procedure. This part centers around what apparatuses and methods have been utilized to
finish the research. This part has concentrated on information accumulation strategy and test size
of the instrument. Every single moral thought have been legitimately followed in the research.
The fourth chapter deals with the findings and analysis of the data collected in the data collection
process. A primary method of data collection has been selected for the collecting data and
information about online cyber harassment to females.The last chapter deals with the conclusion
and recommendations. A conclusion has been drawn from studying the research and some of the
recommendations to improve the research study in future have been provided.

3
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................5
1.1 Background.......................................................................................................................5
1.2 Problem statement.................................................................................................................5
1.3 Rationale................................................................................................................................6
1.4 Aim, Objectives and Research Questions..............................................................................8
1.5 Research Structure.................................................................................................................8
Chapter 2: Literature review..........................................................................................................11
2.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................11
2.2 Cyber Bullying.....................................................................................................................11
2.3 Types of cyberbullying........................................................................................................15
2.4 Impact of social media on the cyberbullying of females.....................................................17
2.5 Gaps in Literature................................................................................................................19
2.6 Summary..............................................................................................................................20
Chapter 3: Research Methodology................................................................................................21
3.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................21
3.2 Research Method Outline....................................................................................................21
3.3 Research Philosophy............................................................................................................22
3.3.1 Justification for selecting positivism philosophy.........................................................23
3.4 Research Approach..............................................................................................................23

4
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
3.4.1 Justification for selecting inductive approach..............................................................25
3.5 Research Design..................................................................................................................25
3.5.1 Justification for selecting descriptive research design..................................................26
3.6 Data Collection method.......................................................................................................26
3.6.1 Types of Data Collection method.................................................................................26
3.6.2 Justification for selected data collection method..........................................................27
3.7 Sampling Method and Size..................................................................................................27
3.8 Data Analysis Method.........................................................................................................28
3.9 Ethical Consideration...........................................................................................................29
3.10 Timeline.............................................................................................................................29
3.10 Summary............................................................................................................................31
Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis..................................................................................................32
4.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................32
4.2 Quantitative Data analysis...................................................................................................32
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations...............................................................................51
5.1 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................51
5.2 Recommendations................................................................................................................52
References......................................................................................................................................54

5
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background
The internet has been increasing its importance in the 21st century. Social media has been
capitalizing the market by use of youngsters. It has been targeting both sex within the young
generation of the world. In the UK, there has been a sharp increase in the use of social media
among a young generation of both genders (Pereira, Spitzberg and Matos 2016). However, there
have been also increasing in cybercrimes in the country. The increase in the online crimes for the
women and girls over social media including Facebook, Twitter, Online dating websites and
other social media websites have creating alarming situation for the country. Many crime reports
have been reported in the UK in recent past years (Marganski and Melander 2018).
This research has been done in order to analyze the impact of social media on cyber violence
against girls and adolescent females. This research will focus on various factors causing cyber
violence against women.
1.2 Problem statement
Cyber harassment and online bullying have been taking several forms that have been
affecting adults and children. The Stop Online Abuse internetsite has been providing several
advice to the individual who is affected by offensive online content and harassment.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has been
explaining that cyberbullying has increased among children and adolescent females (Van Royen
et al. 2017). There have been various types of cyber harassment including abusive messages,
sharing porn videos and images, sending upset messages, encouraging people for self-harm,
making fake accounts and sending nude pictures and sexting (Van Royen et al. 2017). These

6
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
people have been encouraging other individuals to do self-harm and harm others. Therefore, this
has been becoming a vital pressure over children and females.
1.3 Rationale
The use of the internet has been helping in connecting with different people all over the
world. Social media has been an important part of communication in the virtual world (Mohanty
and Samantaray 2016). The use of social media has been helping in connecting different people
in different part of the world. However, there is both positive and negative part of social media.
The positive part is that it makes easier for people for connecting with the different type of
people all over the world. However, the negative part is that various fake accounts have been
increasing cyber harassment and bullying over social media (Winkelman et al. 2015). Therefore,
social media has been affecting these adolescent girls and females who are school going. They
used to speak to their parents about cyber harassment so that they can they can take steps against
it. However, only 15% of the participants approach to police. This percentage has been very low.
This need to be improved so that hackers can be traced by the police (Van Royen et al. 2017).
Female victims need to approach directly to police related to cyber harassment cases. This help
in mitigating these issues in a proper manner.
The European Women’s Lobby has noticed a keen interest among activists and
researchers in coining a feminist lexicon of online Violence against women and girls VAWG
(Nova et al. 2018). Within various researchers and activists regarding online bullying and cyber
harassment. Therefore, various researches have been done in this field identifying various factors
for cyberbullying. The use of social media including Facebook, Twitter and Snap chat have been
creating various nuisance in the society for the females. Young girls and females have been
tortured over social media networks. Many adolescent girls and females have been feeling

7
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
depression with unappropriated images and videos over the social media (Mohanty and
Samantaray 2016). Internet innovation has been expanding its significance in the 21st century.
There has been an increment in the utilization of internet innovation in the market. Internet-based
life has been encountering bigger methodology in the market by the adolescents. It has been
focusing on both sex and sex inside the youthful age of the world. In the UK, there has been a
sharp increment in the utilization of social media among the youthful age of both sexual
orientations. However, there has been an increment in the cybercrimes in the nation. The use of
social media has been now changing with a period of time. Various fake accounts have been
created over Facebook, which is used for doing illegal activities over the internet (Felmlee, Rodis
and Francisco 2018).
This research has helped in throwing light upon the statistics of women and girls who are
affected by the negative part of the social media. Various online violence and harassment have
been faced by adolescent girls and females over social media (Mohanty and Samantaray 2016).
The lack of knowledge and awareness has been the main reason for this activity over social
media. These risk factors have been prevailing in the common society where females and girls
are feeling unsafe. There has been a rapid increase in the traffic of porn websites over time. This
has been increasing the rate of rape and other crimes on females over time. Various individuals
have been affected by watching porn and sex videos in society. These videos are sent to females
and adolescent girls over social media. These make them harass and feel depressed. There are
various trending messages for encouraging to self-harm through social media platforms.
The lack of awareness about various terminology and technology related to digital tools
have been causing a shift in the contemporary character of individuals over the internet. The
Women's Media Center Speech Project has been providing a list of forms of cyber violence

8
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
against girls and females (Manaf et al. 2018). This approach has been helping in creating a
strategic approach in the development of awareness among women and females related to online
harassment and cyberbullying (Nova et al. 2019). This approach has been summarized in a reply
to a Parliamentary Question in 2013 by Lord Gardiner of Kimble.
1.4 Aim, Objectives and Research Questions
The aim of research has been focused on analyzing the impact of social media regulating
cyber violence against girls and adolescent females.
Following are the objectives of the research:
 To identify reasons behind issues faced by adolescent girls and females due to addiction
over social media
 To analyze impact of social media on the cyberbullying of females
 To recommend strategies for mitigating these issues related to cyber bullying over social
media
Following are the list of research questions:
 What are reasons behind issues faced by adolescent girls and females due to addiction
over social media?
 How social media has been affecting females due to cyberbullying?
 How these issues can be mitigated related to cyber bullying over social media?
1.5 Research Structure
There are total five chapters in the research. These chapters include introduction,
Literature review, Research Methodology, Data findings and analysis and Conclusion and

9
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
recommendations. The first chapter is Introduction that deals with the basic background of the
research. This chapter include overview of the cyber violence over social media to adolescent
girls and females. The aim, objectives and research questions have been discussed in the chapter.
The second chapter deals with the literature review of various literatures related to impact
of social media on adolescent girls and females. Various researches on this topic have been
studied in this chapter. The factors enhancing cyber bullying over the social media to females
have been discussed.
The third chapter deals with the research methodology. This chapter focuses on what
tools and techniques have been used to complete the research. This chapter has focused on data
collection method and sample size of the instrument. All ethical considerations have been
properly followed in the research.
Figure 1: Research Structure
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis
Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations

10
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
(Source: Created by Author)
The fourth chapter deals with the findings and analysis of the data collected in the data
collection process. A primary method of data collection has been selected for the collecting data
and information about online cyber harassment to females.
The last chapter deals with the conclusion and recommendations. A conclusion has been
drawn from studying the research and some of the recommendations to improve the research
study in future have been provided.

11
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
Chapter 2: Literature review
2.1 Introduction
This chapter discusses about several factors in the cyber bullying to women and girls.
The literature review has been done using qualitative method. There have been various research
papers and journals have been refereed for collection information about cyber bullying cases
with adolescent girls and females. This chapter has been helping in guiding to the methodology
of the research. The need of data collection and type of method have been guided in this chapter.
This chapter helps in identifying different factors that affect the cyberbullying to females and
girls over the social media. The impact of social media in increasing cyber violence to females
and girls have been discussed in the chapter.
2.2 Cyber Bullying
The advances in the internet technology has been given rise to the utilization of social
media over the internet. Various individuals have been using social media at a large extent. Most
of the females have been using Facebook as a social media platform. The use of Facebook has
been increased in recent years (Moafa et al. 2018). There has been an increase in the abusive of
new technology that has been included in the cyber violence and cyber harassment. The use of
different spyware and malware have been affecting different social media networks (Vitis and
Gilmour 2017). The use of Facebook has been helping in breaching into a various personal
profile. Sexist hate speech has been defined by the Council of Europe as expressions which
spread, incite, promote or justify hatred based on sex (bullying.co.uk, 2018). The UK has been
leading the way for approaching issues from self-regulation instead of legislation (Moafa et al.
2018). There has been an example of the Internet Watch Foundation that has been the first

12
CYBER HARRASSMENT WITH FEMALES
charity that helps in focusing on dealing with images for sexual child abuse (Van Royen et al.
2017). This has been a model that helped in driving forward with recent work with various
search engines including Google for discovering various images of child and females. However,
Kabir (2018) argued that there have been various usage of social media and besides
cyberbullying to females and adolescent girls. According to the research done by McCusker and
Gunaydin (2015), many foundation have been working towards checking these cyber bullying
activities over the internet. Various works have been done with the Internet Watch Foundation
for ensuring internet service providers for funding for increasing their capacity of working with
technology providers for the use of the technology for enabling images to be imaged and traced.
Figure 2: Function of women in news stories
(Source: Europe, Global Media Monitoring Project, 2015)
. As suggested by Mishna et al. (2018), cyberbullying contain various behaviors
including messages, rumors and creating fake images over the social media. This has been
creating depression and suicidal attacks in society. Cyber harassment has been considered to