Women are disproportionately targeted by cyber-harassment, cyber-stalking, and image-based abuse. Indeed, statistics from Plan International (2020) suggest that 58% of females aged 15-25 have experienced harassment online, leading women to increasingly self-censor and withdraw from virtual spaces.

This PhD will employ a mixed methods approach, featuring online surveys and semi-structured interviews to investigate gender-based online harms, with a focus on women who are highly visible online, including journalists and MPs.

As such, my research will address an urgent need to examine experiences of and responses to gender-based online harms and offer a critical analysis of current regulatory and policy responses (e.g., the UK’s 2021 Online Safety Bill), at a critical junction of policy development to better protect women and reduce harm.