Globalization and technology, which have emerged alongside the evolving and changing world, have transcended time and spatial constraints and made interaction and communication between different societies possible. With the digitalization that has become increasingly visible, especially after the 21st century, many areas of life have begun to transform and change. With digitalization becoming an indispensable part of life, various information technologies have developed rapidly and have become fully integrated into people's daily lives. Among information technologies, the most visible and widely integrated into people's daily lives is the internet, which has revolutionized the speed and ease of accessing and distributing information. Communication technologies, which have developed in parallel with information technologies, have also led to the development of socialization areas and the emergence of various virtual environments and networks. With this transformation, “violence,” which has existed in societies for a long time, has taken on a new dimension. The increasing technological transformation has given rise to a new form of violence, often referred to as “digital violence” or “cyber violence.” In this context, digital violence has become particularly evident in forms of violence directed at women. Violence against women is no longer limited to face-to-face or physical violence, but now includes psychological, sexual, and social forms of violence perpetrated through digital platforms. While it can be said that digitalization has increased violence against women through cyber violence, cyber harassment, digital stalking, unauthorized sharing of images, exposure, threats, or privacy violations, it is also possible to say that digitalization has provided advantages in the fight against violence against women. In this sense, it can be said that the digital age has a two-sided effect on violence against women. While it can be argued that the digital age has increased the scale of violence against women through cyber violence and added a new dimension to violence, it can also be argued that it has provided critical opportunities and grounds for collective solidarity in the fight against forms of violence against women.

“Cyber violence takes many forms and, as digital and virtual platforms become more widespread, it ranges from online harassment to sexual harassment, murder and suicide, and the desire to cause physical harm.” (Tandon ve Pritchard, 2015, p.21 as cited in Cirban Ekrem & Er Güneri, 2021, p.366) To gain a general understanding of the scope of cyber violence, one can refer to the Internet Governance Forum report (IGF, 2015), which focuses on “Gender-Based Violence and Online Abuse”. This report lists the scope of cyber violence as privacy violations, surveillance and monitoring, damage to reputation and credibility, harassment, direct threats or violence, and targeted attacks on communities. In particular, the anonymity provided by social media platforms allows people to easily conceal their identities and engage in cyber violence.

“Violence against women, which is a social problem, is frequently encountered in public or private life based on gender, and causes women’s freedom to be arbitrarily restricted and women to be hurt and harmed.” (WHO, 2014 as cited in Cirban Ekrem & Er Güneri, 2021, p.364). In this context, cyber violence, which has become a form of violence against women, involves women receiving repeated harassing messages or calls from both acquaintances and strangers. Due to the rapid dissemination of information in the digital environment, privacy violations are committed against women, and the personal information, images, or photographs of many women are shared without their consent. At the same time, the alteration, montage, or sending of many photographs, emails, or messages without consent is also one of the violent acts brought about by cyber violence. Manipulating photos or using fake photos to threaten women, sharing or spreading online content that objectifies women sexually, or making gender-based insults and comments are examples of the various dimensions of cyber violence that exacerbate violence against women. At the same time, the use of GPS or software to track a woman's movements without her consent and the disclosure of confidential information that directly affects her negatively, such as persistent stalking or shelter addresses, are examples of cyber violence against women. Furthermore, comments made about women in virtual groups or threats and manipulation directed at women are the most visible examples of cyber violence against women today.

 

The reasons why this form of violence can be applied much more easily and frequently than other forms of violence can be attributed to individuals' right to anonymity and the wide range of access and availability. Cyber violence has become much easier for those who commit or intend to commit violence, as individuals have the opportunity to conceal their identities and maintain their presence on social media using fake identities or without any identity at all. In environments where our identities are exposed or in what we might call "real life", individuals make and regulate their comments and behaviors by considering social pressure and rules. However, the digital space is seen as an environment where violence can be perpetrated due to the sense of irresponsibility brought about by anonymity. “The Gender-Based Violence and Online Abuse” report (IGF, 2015) states that most violence is perpetrated by anonymous accounts with fake names or identities, making it very difficult to identify the perpetrators.” (Yıldırım, 2019, s. 39).

In addition, social media provides all individuals with an environment where they can express themselves and represent themselves, while also allowing others to comment on and access these representations and expressions. In this regard, women in particular are prevented from representing themselves as they wish, and an environment of unauthorized access to unauthorized information is created. “A study conducted in Germany to reveal the victimization experienced by internet users aged 10-50 in the virtual environment found that women experience more victimization than men in virtual environments, with 81.5% of women being verbally harassed and 68.3% being sexually harassed.” (Staude Müller et al., 2012, s. 267 as cited in Cirban Ekrem & Er Güneri, 2021, p.365). “Temur Şimşek (2018) found that 59.8% of women had been subjected to cyber violence. The most common types of cyber violence experienced by women were stated as third parties tracking user information and exposure to unwanted and sexually explicit messages.” (Temur Şimşek, 2018, s. 45-46 as cited in Cirban Ekrem & Er Güneri, 2021, p.365). In this regard, the reason why these acts of cyber violence are particularly visible in violence against women is closely related to the positions of women in accordance with gender norms. Many women not only withdraw from digital platforms due to cyber violence, but also experience permanent trauma, are driven to suicide, or face damage to their social and professional reputation. “Research has found that young women who use the internet for more than 4-6 hours a day are more likely to be exposed to cyber violence, do not respond to violence, and experience psychosocial problems such as stress, anxiety, and panic attacks due to the long-term effects of violence.” (Staude Müller et al., 2012, s. 264; European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2014, s. 81; European Parliamentary Research Service, 2021, s. 84; PEW Research Center, 2014, s. 3 as as cited in Cirban Ekrem & Er Güneri, 2021, p.366).

On the other hand, while the digital age has increased violence against women and given it a new dimension, it can also be argued that it has brought many advantages in the fight against violence against women. Therefore, it can be said that although digital environments pave the way for new forms of violence against women, such as cyber violence, the same digital tools also offer important opportunities and possibilities in the fight against violence. The most important example of this is the capacity of social media platforms to raise awareness and foster mass solidarity. The arena of free expression brought about by social media has paved the way for women to find a line of solidarity in their fight against violence. With the “Me Too” movement gaining momentum worldwide in 2017, many women who had been harassed found a platform to share their experiences, and this led to a global movement. In this context, women have gained a platform to make their voices heard and create solidarity. With the ability of digital tools to quickly disseminate and generate information, the fight against violence against women has gained momentum, turning into numerous campaigns and movements. In the Turkish context, a movement was launched under the hashtag “sendeanlat”, allowing women to share their experiences of violence anonymously or openly. Within a short time, the movement reached thousands of shares, demonstrating a spirit of solidarity in the fight against violence against women.

 

In addition, although the right to anonymity brought about by digitalization increases the scale of cyber violence and creates a major problem in identifying perpetrators, the fact that content produced or shared in digital environments leaves traces points to an important advantage in terms of providing evidence of violence committed in the context of cyber violence. In cases involving forms of violence that could be classified as traditional, perpetrators often go unpunished due to insufficient evidence. However, in digital environments, correspondence, messages containing threats or profanity, IP data, and other types of evidence constitute strong legal evidence in legal proceedings.

Technological developments are not only useful for gathering evidence or creating a spirit of solidarity, but also for establishing direct protection mechanisms against violence against women. Through various mobile applications, women can notify their loved ones or official institutions that they are in danger with a single touch, and some applications even automatically connect them to an emergency hotline in the event of physical violence. The “KADES” app, used by many women in Turkey, is an example of such applications. Similarly, AI-based filtering systems can prevent the spread of hate speech or harassment content.
 

In addition, digital environments have the potential to facilitate access to legal or psychological support mechanisms. In particular, structures such as online counseling hotlines, non-governmental organizations, and virtual group therapy play important roles in combating violence against women by providing free support to women. At the same time, digital literacy programs have been developed to raise awareness among women on issues such as protecting personal data, strengthening security settings, and collecting evidence against cyber violence, with the aim of increasing awareness in this regard. In conclusion, the digital age both makes violence against women more visible and increases it through cyber violence, while also creating many opportunities and possibilities for combating violence against women. This “double-face” of the digital age has the capacity to exclude women from the digital arena through cyber violence and increase the scale of violence against women, while at the same time pioneering many opportunities for women to make their voices heard, initiate collective resistance, and receive support for legal processes. Therefore, while recognizing the extent of cyber violence as a new form of violence brought about by the digital age, it is also necessary to recognize its potential to eliminate this dimension. When used correctly, technology can become a transformative force for empowering women, making them visible, and completely eliminating violence. In this context, the digital age should not be a network that renders women invisible, excludes them, or harms them, but rather a network that empowers them.

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References

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Cirban Ekrem, E., & Er Güneri, S. (2021). Kadına Yönelik Şiddetin Dijital Dünyaya Yansıması. Uluslararası İnsan Çalışmaları Dergisi, 4(8), 362-370. https://doi.org/10.35235/uicd.974250

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Europan Unıon Agency for Fundamental Rights. (2014). Violence againist women: An EU-wide survey. violence against women: an EU-wide survey. Access Date: 19.08.2025 https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2014-vaw-survey-main-results-apr14_en.pdf

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Europan Parliamentary Research Service. (2021). Combating gender-based violence: cyber violence. Access Date: 19.08.2025. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_STU(2021)662621

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IGF. "Online Abuse and Gender-Based Violence Against Women." intgovforum. September 4, 2015. http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/documents/best-practice-forums/623-bpfonline-abuse-and-gbv-against-women/file (accessed August 19, 2025).​

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PEW Research Center. (2014). Online Harassment. Access date: 19.08.2025, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2014/10/22/online-harassment/

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Staude Müller, F., Hansen, B. ve Voss, M. (2012). How stressful is online victimization? Effects of victim's personality and properties of the incident. Europan Journal of Developmental Psycohology, 9(2), 260-274.

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Tandon, N. ve Pritchard, S. (2015). Cyber violence against women and girls. Access date: 19.08.2025, https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/genderreport2015final.pdf

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Temur Şimşek, N. (2018). Toplumsal cinsiyete dayalı şiddetin başka bir biçimi: Siber şiddet (Unpublished Master’s Thesis). T.C. Ç ağ Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstit üsü, Mersin.

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WHO. (2014). Violence Against Women. Access date: 19.08.2025, https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/112325/WHO_RHR_14.11_eng.pdf

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Yıldırım, E. (2019). Sosyal medyada kadınlara yönelik dijital şiddet (Unpublished Master’s Thesis) T.C. İstanbul Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, İstanbul.