Assessment of cyber abuse during the years 2020 and 2021 among a sample of Egyptian females

Abstract

Violence against women is a global issue, but it is particularly prevalent in the Middle East. According to WHO estimates, approximately 35% of women worldwide have been exposed to physical and/or sexually intimate relationship violence or non-partner sexual violence at some point in their lives. Because nearly one in every two people uses the internet and one billion homes have an internet connection, cyber violence is a growing global epidemic with serious public health implications; it is linked not only to negative psychological, social, and reproductive health outcomes for victims but also to offline physical and sexual assault. Cyber harassment, cyberstalking, defamation, non-consensual pornography, e-mail spoofing, cyber hacking, and virtual rape are examples of cyber violence against women. Data on the scope of cyber violence and its prevalence across various people and cultures is limited, but studies suggest that women, girls, and sexual minorities are more likely to be victims of cyber abuse. Objectives: Our research aimed to assess the problem of cyber violence against women in Egypt, including its prevalence, different forms, and impact on victims' lives to identify and develop preventive strategies. Methodology: The research was conducted utilizing an online poll distributed over two of Egypt's most popular social media platforms, Facebook, and WhatsApp, to assess if the participants were subjected to cyber abuse for two years, 2020 and 2021. To get a high response rate, the researchers chose groups with many female members. The researchers collected responses by a survey published at the link to the study page for three months, from November 1, 2021, to January 31, 2022. Results: Our study included 324 adult female participants, about 52 % were between 31 and 40 years old. About 85 percent of our participants said they had been subjected to cyber violence, 64 percent said they had been subjected to cyber harassment three times or more, and 52.7 percent said they were harassed via social media. In conclusion, the Egyptian population has seen a high rate of cyber violence against women in the past two years. As a result, the government must implement robust legislation that makes cyber violence illegal in all its manifestations.