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The Gender-Based Punishment Of Choice In Online Revenge

Edge of Humanity Magazine

2 years ago

Written by Edge of Humanity Magazine Staff

Imagine having to wake up with your intimate photos plastered all over the Internet.

That’s exactly what happened to a woman in Texas who became a victim of revenge porn.

Her ex-partner allegedly didn’t take kindly to the break-up. He flooded social media with private photos, created a fake porn website impersonating her, and even uploaded everything to a publicly accessible Dropbox folder.

The harassment was relentless. Thankfully, justice prevailed.

But, this isn’t just an isolated incident. It is the chilling reality of online revenge communities.

These communities provide a space for members to share personal information, such as photos, videos, and private messages, to embarrass, humiliate, or harm the target.

Targets can be ex-partners, former friends, or even business rivals. They offer a disturbing array of tactics, from doxing to cyberstalking to get the job done.

While a sense of injustice and powerlessness leads to the inception of such groups, hero syndrome may also play a role here.

Whether it’s creating a fake account using a VPN or joining revenge groups without disclosing personal information, crossing the line into something illegal becomes easy as you are surrounded by anonymity offered by the internet.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to online revenge communities.

Some individuals believe these groups as a necessary outlet for justice or simply to vent out. Whereas, others see them as breeding grounds for harassment and cyberbullying. But the fact of the matter is that they exist.

When we look at the statistics, it is seen that almost 41% of Americans have personally experienced some form of online harassment at least once.

The choice of digital space, however, differs as per gender. Women who have been harassed are more likely to say the most recent experience was on social media while men are more likely to cite online gaming forums.

That’s not all. It’s women who face harassment more than men. In fact, the total accounts of online harassment have doubled since 2017.

The motivations driving men and women to seek revenge online also tend to differ.

In men, it’s their ego and slights to their reputation that’s a motivating factor. While in women, it’s usually a sense of injustice.

However, according to a study published in Nature, it was revealed that men may be more naturally inclined toward revenge than women. Here, researchers used MRI scans to observe.

Men were seen to experience pleasure when wrongdoers received mild electric shocks, while their empathy centers remained inactive. And, women did not show pleasure responses and maintained some level of empathy even for disliked individuals.

Today, when it comes to revenge communities, the punishment of choice is either social retribution or financial consequences.

Social retribution is when the perpetrator tries to dismantle the target’s social life. This is often done by spreading damaging information or rumors among their friends, family, colleagues, and broader social circles.

For example, an individual might falsely accuse their ex-partner of infidelity, by fabricating incriminating messages and photos and sharing them on their social media platforms.

It not only results in humiliation but can also lead to ostracization, damaged relationships, and psychological distress for the target.

Whereas, punishment with financial repercussions targets the individual’s livelihood. This is usually conducted through tactics such as sabotaging their career prospects or even blackmail for money.

For example, an unhappy ex-partner might spread false rumors about their ex’s professional conduct, which can lead to job loss or difficulty securing employment.

Interestingly, the preference for one form of punishment over the other varies between male and female-dominated online revenge communities.

Men tend to gravitate more towards strategies that inflict financial harm and even fear. They view it as a direct hit to the target’s power and status. This approach can involve meticulous planning and execution where the aim is to use the victim’s professional vulnerabilities to their advantage. And, women may prioritize social retribution when it comes to revenge where they strive to achieve immediate social isolation for the target.

The reasons behind these gender-based preferences are vast. Societal norms and expectations regarding masculinity and femininity play a role. Also, the nature of their distress along with tech-savviness can be driving factors.