Online textual abuse of feminists, with Michael Rowe and Clare Wiper

This chapter examines the nature of online abuse of feminists and what it reveals about contemporary gender relations. As well as reviewing extant evidence of the ubiquitous nature of online abuse towards women, the chapter also draws on data from our study of online abuse against feminists. While several high-profile cases of online abuse have received considerable attention, our victimological study revealed the experiences of the many women without high profiles, who comprise the bulk of feminists, whose experiences are not covered in the national media. We consider the nature and impacts of such abuse on these women. We analyse online abuse as a political strategy to subdue or silence feminists’ engagement in political campaigns, discourse, and debate, but note that it does not always have such impacts; some women recipients of such abuse are galvanised in their feminist politics.