The Pew Research Center surveyed 4,248 American adults on the question of online harassment, a subject they last tackled in 2014. Some of the key findings of the Pew report are below:
41 Percent of Adults Have Experienced Online Harassment
While 18% have been the target of more severe forms of online harassment, including physical threats, sustained harassment, stalking and sexual harassment.
For adults under 30, 67% have experienced online harassment and 41% have been targetted for more severe harassment.
62 Percent of Adults Believe Online Harassment is a Major Problem
While this number high, certain segments view it as a more serious problem.
Women: Seventy percent (70%) view online harassment as a serious problem and 83 percent (83%) of women 18-29.
People of color: African-Americans (74%) and Latinos (72%) are more likely to say that online harassment is a major problem than whites (57%).
79 Percent of Adults Believe Online Platforms Have a Responsibility to Intervene to Stop Harassment
While sixty-four percent (64%) of adults believe internet platforms have a major role to play in addressing online harassment, nearly 80 percent of them believe they have a responsibility to intervene to stop harassment on their platforms.
Public Favors Better Online Policies and Stronger Laws to Combat Online Harassment
In terms of remedies for online harassment, the leading recommendations were for online companies to adopt better policies to address online abuse (35%) and for stronger laws
Public Believes Law Enforcement Does Not Take Online Harassment Seriously Enough
Almost half (43%) of American adults believe that law enforcement does not take online harassment seriously enough.
That number gets even higher among women and for those experiencing more severe harassment (55%),
