by Kim Barker
First published 2018
Social media platforms promised an inclusive digital world but delivered something far different. Misogynistic abuse now flourishes across these networks, while legal systems struggle to respond effectively. Kim Barker examines how current laws in England and Wales focus on punishment after harm occurs rather than prevention. She argues that policymakers underestimate the real damage inflicted on victims of online gender-based harassment. The book dissects three critical problems: the widespread nature of social media abuse, the inadequate and inconsistent legal responses to such abuse, and the failure of existing hate crime legislation to address online misogyny. Barker builds a case for reforming both hate crime laws and communications legislation to better protect women from digital harassment.
Genres: abuse, gender-studies, feminism, crime, social-issues, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: social-justice
146 pages · Hardcover · Routledge
Content warnings: sexism