Anxiety and prior victimization predict online gender-based violence perpetration among Indonesian young adults during COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Most of human interactions moved to the cyberspace for much of the pandemic. It was no surprise that online violence was also on the rise. One of the objectives of this study was to describe the prevalence and risk factors of online gender-based violence (OGBV) perpetration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results The final analysis included 1006 respondents, 84.2% of whom were women and 94.5% were heterosexual. Over 60% of respondents admitted having perpetrated at least one type of OGBV once. It included 58.6% of women who admitted having perpetrated OGBV. Logistic regression analysis identified anxiety, online disinhibition, and history of victimization as independent risk factors of perpetration with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 1.82 (95% CI 1.30–2.56), 1.38 (95% CI 1.03–1.85), and 9.72 (95% CI 5.11–18.51), respectively. Sub-group analysis that identified these factors also facilitated increased frequency and severity of OGBV perpetration. Conclusions We found a high proportion of OGBV perpetration among young adults during the pandemic among all genders although women were grossly overrepresented among the respondents. Risk factors of perpetration included anxiety, online disinhibition, and prior victimization. The pandemic situation which heightened general anxiety and increased dependency on online communication may facilitate the perpetration of OGBV. The generalization of this result should pay attention to the caveat that the demographic of respondents is heavily skewed toward women.

Pemulihan Perempuan Penyintas Kekerasan Berbasis Gender Siber (KBGS): Studi Kasus Dua Perempuan Penyintas KBGS dalam Mempertahankan Penghidupannya

“…So when "S" has to spend time looking for protection, she is also interrupted when she receives threatening messages from the perpetrator, and looks for ways to block contacts so that the perpetrator would not contact her again. In addition, the time aspect can also be seen as an unlimited aspect in cases of cyber gender-based violence that has an impact on the victim's psychological health, such as excessive anxiety, depression, and paranoia/fear [8,9,10]. In accordance with previous research, the cyber genderbased violence experienced by "S" and "T" also had an impact on their psychological health.…”

“…Some of the symptoms of mental problems experienced by KBGS survivors are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), excessive anxiety, depression, feelings of uncertainty, and suicidal thought (8)(9)(10). Finally, there are two challenges for victims.…”

Concern on cyber violence and suicide during COVID-19 pandemic

“…The United Nations has identified violence against women (VAW) as a shadow pandemic created in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous literature indicated that the incidence of cyber violence against female victims was significantly higher than that against males ( 11 ), and cyber violence was closely associated with increased suicidal ideation ( 12 ). Looking at cyber violence as a form of VAW during the pandemic, a recent study found that almost 25% of respondents frequently observed different forms of cyber violence against women and girls ( 13 ).…”