Urban adolescent girls' experiences of gendered cyber bullying: Concerns, strengths, and solutions

The purpose of this research was to explore online and computer-mediated experiences of gendered violence among adolescent girls in an urban community services setting. Twenty-three girls completed an online questionnaire that investigated the incident rate of various forms of gendered cyber violence as well as responses to and impacts from these incidences. Following the online questionnaire, a small focus group of four adolescent girls discussed the findings and relations to their own experiences and understandings, as well as ways to address the issue. Quantitative and thematic analyses were employed. Findings indicated high rates of peer-to-peer violence and exposure to rape culture, and a prevalent impact of damage to self-image as a result of gendered cyber violence. A peer-led community awareness building strategy is discussed as a youth empowering response to this issue.