The equivalence of violence against women on social media: Acts constituting digital violence and their place in the Turkish Penal Code

Abstract

This study aims to explore women's perceptions of digital violence across different age groups, educational backgrounds, and marital statuses. It also investigates their awareness of digital violence on social media and their coping strategies when exposed to such acts. Additionally, their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding whether digital violence constitutes a crime were examined. Within the scope of the research, a survey form as a preliminary study was applied over the internet throughout Türkiye. According to the findings, 51.2% of the participants answered that they did not think they were exposed to acts of digital violence on social media. The findings revealed that 43.9% of the participants, who initially indicated that they had not experienced acts of digital violence on social media, stated that they were exposed to certain acts of violence such as being insulted and sworn at, falling victim to fraud, receiving threats and blatckmail, enduring harassing messages, discovering fake accounts created in their name with personal photos, etc., 47.7% of the participants stated that "Digital/Cyber Violence" is treated as a separate crime in the Turkish Penal Code. In response to the question ‘What would you do if you were exposed to the above action(s)?’ 83.3% of the participants marked the item 'I would block the related person from my social media accounts', 48.3% 'I would change the passwords of my social media accounts'. Consequently, looking at the answers of the women who participated in this survey, it was concluded that they were not aware that they were subjected to digital violence and that the actions they were exposed to were acts of digital violence. In this context, digital violence should be treated as a serious problem, and awareness, prevention and coping methods should be implemented.