Online Harassment

Erin VanderVeen
Professor Laura Wiebe
April 1, 2015

Online Harassment: Erin VanderVeen

Table of Content

Introduction

Context

Online Self and

Online Space

Anonymity and
Avoidance

Case: Monika
Lewinsky

Conclusion

. 10

Works Cited

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Online Harassment: Erin VanderVeen

Introduction
Since the internet was invented and introduced, the way the world communicates has
drastically changed. When once we relied on paper and pen and telephones to talk to our friends
and family, we can now do so digitally. Space and time became irrelevant. In an era of digital
technologies and the internet, the home is no longer a place of safety, separate from the bullying
of peers and coworkers (Strom & Strom, 2005, 22). Now, with more than 30 million internet host
computers over the world (Jones, 1998, xii), people have access into other peoples homes and
for some, it is hard to find escape from the harassment. For adolescents, access to technology
where this harassment can take place, is highly available (Weber, 2014, 3). For instance, 78 per
cent of youth have cell phones, 23 per cent have a tablet, and 93 per cent have in-home computer
access (Weber, 2014, 3). Evidently, the reach of harassment and bullying is becoming more
significant because of advancements in technology (Weber, 2014, 11). This is unfortunate seeing
as this technology and the social networks it provides, have the ability to benefit young people
who struggle to communicate in real life (Weber, 2014, 11). Instead, it allowed for another
form of harassment. The Pew Research Center released a report in 2014 that sought to give a
better picture of what is happening in the online world (Is online harassment a permanent part
of the Internets future?, 2014). According to their survey, 73 per cent of adult internet users
have seen someone be harassed in some way online, while 40 per cent have personally
experienced it (Pew Research Center, 2014, 2). Furthermore, it suggests that a range from 20-40
per cent of adolescents have experienced online harassment (Miller, 2012, 268). This paper sets
out to argue that online harassment, whether that be cyberbullying, trolling or general
harassment, is a result of the anonymity provided by the internet and because there is a
disruption of self. This thesis will be supported by academic research and the case of Monika
Lewinsky will be used as supportive evidence of my argument.
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Context
To begin, it is necessary to give context to the discussion so as to establish a greater
understanding of the topic. First, the terminology surrounding terms like online harassment,
cyberbullying, flaming, trolling, and so on, is very conflicted and undecided among researchers
(Weber, 2014, 9). Trolling is used to provoke reactions, cause disruption and argument and
create emotional distress (Miller, 2012, 267). Trolling has advanced and actually now covers a
variety of terms such as flaming and cyberbullyinganything that describes a form of serial
abusive behaviour or online anti-social behaviour (Miller, 2012, 268). This paper uses online
harassment as an all-encompassing term because harassment can be anything from name-calling
to more threatening behaviour (Pew Research Center, 2014, 2).
Lessig predicted in 2004 that by 2014, there would have been an explosion of digital
technologies (2004, 184). Well, that decade has come and gone and it seems as though Lessigs
prediction was correct. Various technologies such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and so on,
have been invented and these are the technologies that enable anyone to capture and share
content (Lessig, 2004, 24). As Lessig states, capturing and sharing content is nothing new;
humans have done since the beginning of time (2004, 184). However, this capturing and sharing
is different through digital technologies (Lessig, 2004, 184), and more importantly, this digital
technology is providing the means for online harassment. Of course, the technology is just one
aspect. The other, is the invention of the internet, which can be used through each medium. In
2009, 82 per cent of Americans spent time online with an average of 19 hours per week
(Agatston, et al., 2012, 4). Even more notable, is the fact that of the individuals surveyed in the
Center for Digital Futures survey, 100 per cent under the age of 24 spent time online (Agatston,
et al., 2012, 4). This of course, extends above that age demographic so the level of behaviours
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actually occurring online must be incredibly high. However, behaviours in digital environments
did not simply ensue as brand new performances as soon as computers were introduced
(Dueze, 2006, 64). That is to say, harassment and bullying have been behaviours that individuals
have experienced and been a part of long before the invention of digital technologies and the
internet. The difference however, is that where once this harassment took place between a few
people and for just moments of time, it now can take place across networks of people, perhaps
even globally, and it will remain online forever (Lewinsky, 2015; Strom & Strom, 2005, 22).
Although these behaviours are not necessarily new, they are taking place in new systems and
spaces and happening at extreme rates. For example, ChildLine, a U.K. non-profit organization
that aims to help young people with various issues, reported that from 2012-2013, the calls
relating to cyberbullying rose by 87 per cent (Lewinsky, 2015). Furthermore, 40 per cent of
internet users have experienced online harassment at varying degrees of severity (Pew Research
Center, 2014, 3). This paper seeks to establish reasons for this behaviour as it relate to all
peopleadolescents and adults.
Before looking at the reasons why online harassment takes place, it is important to
establish the motivations individuals have for even using the internet in the first place. In
general, humans are societal and have strong desires to communicate and belong to groups
(Weber, 2014, 17). The internet provides an easy way of meeting that need through virtual
worlds and networks. These networks could range from social networks like Facebook and
Twitter, to gaming networks like Blizzard or virtual worlds such as Second Life. These networks
allow individuals to share, communicate and interact with people across the globe. As implied, a
benefit to these networks is that the physical space between them is diminished (Weber, 2014,
17). Another benefit is the space that is provided that allows for individuals to support one

Online Harassment: Erin VanderVeen

another, be it through a difficult time like a death in the family or as simply a place to vent
(Weber, 2014, 17). In the Pew study, 68 per cent of the respondents said that the online
environment was more enabling of social support (Pew Research Center, 2014, 21). Despite all
the cons of using the internet, such as the online harassment that is the focus of this paper, there
are of course many benefits as well. Another motivator for using the internet is that for many
people who struggle socially, whether they be socially awkward or have trouble expressing
themselves, social networks are an opportunity for them to make connections and express their
true selves in a way they cannot do in real life (Weber, 2014, 18). Part of this is because they
can write out text, think it through and modify it before posting it (Weber, 2014, 18). The
internet and everything it entails, provides individuals with the opportunity to create a profile
space and an identity (Weber, 2014, 18). However, there are consequences to these identities and
that is what the next portion of the paper discusses.
Online Self and Online Space
As mentioned, the internet and the networks it makes available to users, allows people of
all ages, genders and races, to develop an identity (i.e. their online self) in some version of an
online space. However, the space in which these online communities take place is a rather fluid
environment because of the fluid identities forming (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 218). This results in a
variety of negative implications. Often, the online self is a fragmented self (Kolko & Reid, 1998,
218). What this means is that in many cases, individuals have multiples personas of the self
portrayed online and so their identity is dispersed and fragmented. For instance, a male can be a
female through an avatar on Second Life, or an intelligent character on LambdaMOO.
Depending on their mood, day of the week or for any other reasons, one can choose a certain
version of identity to be online (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 218). A benefit to this is that there is a
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greater diversity of ones self being experienced but a negative implication is that these instances
of getting to be a certain version of you results in a limited psychological and social level of
being (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 218).
These different personas make online identities and communities weak; their resilience is
compromised and the fragmented self leads to inflexibility (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 218-219). This
holds such importance to the relationships that are formed over networks because flexibility is
what is required in order to resolve interpersonal problems (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 219). For
instance, using qualities such as compromise, change, empathy and negotiability are all
necessary components in arriving at solutions with others, and those come from having
flexibility (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 219). With a dispersed and fragmented self, which is often the
case online, there is lack of flexibility; with lack of flexibility comes the inability to exercise
necessary components that help form strong relationships. This may be critiqued by some who
point out that individuals may also have a fragmented self in the physical real world in terms
of professional and personal life, for example (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 219). However, that kind of
fragmentation is a part of our identities that make up our single self and furthermore, because we
all live in the same space, we are able to be identified as one single person by others (Kolko &
Reid, 1998, 219). On the other hand, ones online self is spatially dispersed and so they might
feel a firm division between the experiences as one part of themselves versus another (Kolko &
Reid, 1998, 219). This phenomena though is not the individuals fault necessarily. Online
communities encourage this sort of multiplicity of self, not flexibility (Kolko & Reid, 1998,
219) and the makers of online communities fail to realize that having multiplicity is vital for the
survival of a community (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 220). The consequence is that individuals online

Online Harassment: Erin VanderVeen

selves become limited and undiversified which results in the online communities being stale and
unable to evolve (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 219).
These concepts that have just been explained about the fragmented self and weak online
spaces this creates then, relate to online harassment in a very important way. I argue that one of
the reasons why online harassment takes place is because online, users are fragmented and
uncommitted to their persona. Cyberspace is place where people become estranged from their
words, from others, and from their communities (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 221). Furthermore, with
so much room and dispersal to be a self in the online spaces, there is the risk of a self becoming
solely a subject, not a self (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 221). How then, can one be expected to treat
others with respect and kindness when the other is simply seen and felt as something that is not
real, does not have true feeling, and so on? This is when, I argue, online harassment takes place.
According to Kolko and Reid, selves must be locatable geographically to be firmly embedded
in a cause-effect relationship (1998, 221). In other words, when ties to a place are dispersed for
an online self, there is a severe lack of social responsibility in relationships with others, which
may result in online harassment taking place.
Anonymity and Avoidance
Where once altercations only took place face-to-face and in a somewhat private manner,
we are now experiencing a rise of these occurrences happening in the online world for hundreds,
if not thousands, of people to witness in a short amount of time (Lewinsky, 2015; Strom &
Strom, 2005, 22). As a result, this type of public witnessing and humiliation can be far more
damaging to a person than face-to-face harassment (Strom & Strom, 2005, 22). Harassers at
school or the workplace, for instance, can usually be identified easily whereas online harassers
can be difficult to trace (Strom & Strom, 2005, 22). Consequently, online harassers and
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Online Harassment: Erin VanderVeen

cyberbullies often get away with their mistreatment. They are able to avoid responsibility,
thereby avoiding the repercussions that may have come from their actions (Strom & Strom,
2005, 22; Pew Research Center, 2014, 10). The study conducted by Pew, stated that when
comparing the offline and the online environments, people agree that the online spaces are more
enabling of anonymity and criticisms (2014, 20). I argue that this anonymity that the internet
provides, and the avoidance of responsibility and repercussions that comes with it, is a reason
why internet users choose to partake in online harassment.
In addition to this, anonymous does not necessarily mean that the individuals do not
know each other online. Sometimes, they simply experience the feelings of being anonymous
due to the fact that there is a detached, physical space between them and this is what causes
harassmentthe feelings of being anonymous (Weber, 2014, 24; Strom & Strom, 2005, 22).
When individuals cannot see how their words affect the other person because of the physical
space between them, they are more likely to harass because they do not experience the same
feelings of regret, sympathy, or compassion (Weber, 2014, 24)
This sense of self is lost in online communities and creates this anonymity to others but
also to ones own self. Individuals are able to create fictitious names and profiles, more than one
for many people (Strom & Strom, 2005, 22). According to Reid, having that sense is vital for
individuals to feel responsible and implicated in their communities (Kolko & Reid, 1998, 223);
without it, that is one less thing stopping them from harassing others.
Case: Monica Lewinsky
Before I conclude, the last section of this paper will focus on a well-known case of online
harassment and it will be discussed in relation to the topics above. Back in 1998, a scandal broke
out over the world that affected a 22-year old woman in a way that had never been seen before.
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That woman was Monica Lewinsky. Lewinsky was an intern in the White House during
President Bill Clintons term in Office and she had a relationship with the president and then had
to suffer the consequences. During a recent TED talk, Lewinsky refers to herself as patient
zero because she was the first person to experience losing a personal reputation on a global
scale (Lewinsky, 2015). In 1998, the internet was fairly new and according to Lewinsky, that
January of 1998 was the first time the internet surpassed traditional news medias popularity in
getting a story out to the audiences (Lewinsky, 2015). Her story was plastered across the entire
globe thanks to the internet and soon she was experiencing that which is felt by so many others
today (Lewinsky, 2015). Back then, there was no name for what she was experiencing; however,
we now refer to what she went through as online harassment or cyberbullying (Lewinsky, 2015).
Lewinsky was called many names and subject to an immense amount of ridicule and humiliation
via online spaces (Lewinsky, 2015). The example of Lewinsky is an interesting one not only
because she was the first person to experience harassment on such a large scale, but because her
online self was not created by her own self. News outlets, gossip magazines, and individuals
comments created it (Lewinsky, 2015). There is one statement Lewinsky makes during her talk
that speaks to this topic of anonymity, but in the opposite direction. She states, I was seen by
many but actually known by few (Lewinsky, 2015). She was anonymous to people simply
because others were painting a picture of her online (versus the individuals making their own
profiles online, for instance). She was called Americas B.J. Queen, That Intern, That Woman
and so much more (Lewinsky, 2015; Shame and Survival, 2014). In an article from Vanity
Fair, Lewinsky tells the audience that it may surprise them, but she is actually a person (Shame
and Survival, 2014). This speaks to the concept of when people cannot witness how their words
affect someone, they feel no compassion (Weber, 2014, 24). Furthermore, people were getting

Online Harassment: Erin VanderVeen

away with their harassment and so they feared no repercussions from what they were saying
about her online. Interestingly enough, when she tried to make herself and her identity known,
she was still harassed (Lewinsky, 2015). For example, when she tried to do interviews, she was
criticized for trying to capitalize on her fame (Shame and Survival, 2014). As mentioned
above, the type of public witnessing and humiliation that takes place over the internet can be far
more damaging to a person than face-to-face harassment (Strom & Strom, 2005, 22), and that
was certainly the case with Lewinsky. It was so bad for her that she was forced to shower with
her bathroom door open so that her parents could make sure she was not hurting herself or
committing suicide (Lewinsky, 2015). The case of Lewinsky shows how harsh online harassment
can be and demonstrates how people are so fragmented online, that they were unable to portray
the change and negotiability that comes from being flexible. She pointed out in her talk that
millions of people of the power to hurt others with their words, often anonymously and there are
no limits to how many people can publicly witness that (Lewinsky, 2015). Lewinsky experienced
online harassment on a global scale because peoples online selves were fragmented, the physical
space created a loss of attachment and feelings, there was anonymity and there was an avoidance
responsibility and repercussions.
Conclusion
Although the internet is still inaccessible to a large number of people in the world, this
conversation is applicable because of the extent to which it affects those who do have access. As
was almost the case with Lewinksy and is the case with so many others, the extreme effect of the
behaviours that take place online, can lead to events such as suicide. The changing landscape of
the internet makes it difficult to combat against online harassment and for people to understand
the effects (Ward, 2000, 317); however, with people like Monica Lewinsky stepping forward,
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maybe a change can be made in how people interact over the internet. As of now, there is still a
significant amount of online harassment taking place. In my opinion, this is occurring because
the fragmented self is created online which results in a loss of flexibility that people have to
negotiate and create healthy relationships. The space that is online also contributes because when
people cannot see the affects their words have on others, it can cause an individual to ignore
feelings of regret and compassion. The internet also provides a space of anonymity, which allows
individuals to avoid feeling responsible for their actions, and they have the knowledge that
repercussions are unlikely. Perhaps over time, as new technologies are developed and more
people like Lewinsky come speak up, there will be ways around the fragmented self, anonymity
and the avoidance that contributes to the causes of online harassment that is so prevalent right
now.

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Age (2nd Edition). Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from
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Dueze, M. (2006). Participation, Remediation, Bricolage: Considering Principal Components of
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Jones, S. (1998). Cybersociety 2.0: Revisiting Computer Mediated Communications and
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Kolko, B., & Reid, E. (1998). Dissolution and fragmentation: Problems in on-line communities.
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Lessig, Lawrence. 2004. Free culture: How big media uses technology and the law to lock down
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uage=en #t-329505
Lewinsky, M. (2014, June). Shame and Survival. Retrieved February 23, 2015, from
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Strom, P.S. & Strom, R.D. (2005). Cyberbullying by Adolescents: A Preliminary Assessment
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strategies. El Paso : LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC, [2014].
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