Research  Political commitment is discouraged by digital violence (German social fashions)

#1
C C Offline
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1070611

INTRO: The majority of politically active Germans experience digital violence. The results of a study conducted by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in cooperation with the human rights organization HateAid show that around two thirds of affected women have experienced sexualized online attacks. Around one third of the respondents who experienced online aggression were also physically attacked. More than half changed their behavior – from self-restrictions on communications to the intention of abandoning their political involvement.

Ahead of the German federal election, several politicians have announced that they will no longer be running for office due to the extent of online threats and defamation they face. This shows that digital violence poses a threat to political participation and therefore to an important pillar of parliamentary democracy.

In cooperation with the human rights organization HateAid, a team of researchers at the Munich School of Politics and Public Policy at TUM surveyed around 1100 politically active Germans. The majority of the respondents were politicians at the municipal, state, federal and EU levels. Other participants were political activists, researchers, journalists, publicists and party members who do not hold elected office or mandates.

“We deliberately chose a broad spectrum because, along with politicians, other politically active persons help to shape public debate and are therefore part of the formation of political will and opinion,” says study author Luise Koch of the Professorship of Global Health at TUM. The non-representative online survey took place between April and October 2024 and was supplemented with 12 qualitative interviews.

Hateful comments, threats, discrimination. The study shows that more than half of politically active individuals are affected by digital violence, especially hateful comments, threats and discriminatory statements. 58 percent of those surveyed report hostile online attacks, most of which relate to their political positions.

Women (63%) experienced such violence more frequently than men (53%). Around two thirds of affected women reported gender-specific violence such as sexism or misogyny. Almost 25 percent have been threatened with sexual abuse of a physical nature such as rape threats (men: 3%). Affected men were threatened more frequently with other forms of physical violence such as being beaten up or killed (51%, 43% of women).

Around one third of those affected by digital abuse (32% of both men and women) have also experienced physical violence. Those who were not abused online were also less likely to be physically attacked (women: 14%; men: 10%).

Modifying tone and content in social media. More than one in two of the affected persons modified their communications, with women in particular considering giving up entirely. Women (66 %) as well as men (53 %) reduced their social media presence and modified their tone and content, for example. 49 percent of women and 30 percent of men at least occasionally considered turning down a position in which they might be heavily exposed to digital attacks. Far more women have considered giving up their political work entirely (22%, 10% of men).

Many politically active people feel abandoned. 66% of women and 49% of men stated that they feel inadequately prepared for online violence and its consequences regarding their political activities. Only 45 percent of the politicians felt that they were well supported in terms of prevention. More than half of those affected expressed a desire for greater solidarity within their communities and in the workplace... (MORE - details, no ads)
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Grooming gangs & the ‘far-right bandwagon’ slur (UK political fashions) C C 4 164 Jan 11, 2025 07:18 PM
Last Post: C C
  Article Don't aim at the cop: We have a social worker to help you (fashions in Arkansas) C C 0 164 Nov 15, 2024 03:04 AM
Last Post: C C
  Clueless: Bill Maher's message to anti-Israel students (fashions in social justice) C C 3 309 May 30, 2024 05:45 AM
Last Post: Zinjanthropos
  Violence spreads in a contagious way among Italian mafia members (fashions in "duh") C C 0 144 Feb 7, 2024 08:47 PM
Last Post: C C
  Article 2 reasons why I don't use ChatGPT or even banal digital assistants (rebellious style) C C 9 468 Jul 8, 2023 08:20 PM
Last Post: confused2
  Article Half of people from Chicago witness shooting by age 40 (gun violence fashion trends) C C 0 92 May 9, 2023 09:15 PM
Last Post: C C
  Portland's love affair with Antifa fades, after months of violence (out of style) C C 0 162 Mar 16, 2021 08:02 AM
Last Post: C C
  When climate agenda got conflated & burdened with SJW agenda (political fashions) C C 0 272 Sep 27, 2020 08:23 PM
Last Post: C C
  Reports of liberalism's death -- A reply to Yoram Hazony (extinct political fashions) C C 1 272 Sep 19, 2020 03:59 AM
Last Post: Syne
  German zoo says it may feed some animals to others due to Covid-19 financial struggle C C 0 212 Apr 15, 2020 06:15 PM
Last Post: C C



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)