US: 47 Percent of Americans are Victims of Harassment on the Internet

Washington – 47 percent of Americans have been victims of harassment on the Internet, according to a study by the Institute of Social Research and the Center for Innovative Public Health Research in the United States.

The survey found that the most susceptible groups to harassment through Internet’s social networks are women, people under 30 and members of the LGBT community (lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders).

The study found that 36 percent of respondents claimed to have been victims of direct harassment, insults or threats, while one out of three suffered a violation of their private lives, going from stealing data photos to even tracking their online activities.

According to researcher Amanda Lenhart, ‘the results show that the incidence or threat of harassment on the internet can have serious consequences on the overall content of online exchanges, even beyond the people directly affected.’

In addition, the research found that two out of four victims (43 percent) changed their email or phone number, or created a profile with another name on social networks.

A third asked for the help of a specialized organization and finally, a quarter of those affected reported the undesirable content or permanently retired from social networks.

Last week, Twitter expanded its silent feature, which allows users to block notifications related to accounts from trolls (people who send inappropriate messages).

It was also revealed that most people who have suffered harassment tend to protect themselves, and that a large majority (72 percent) have at least witnessed such acts.