As threats of violence and angry rhetoric over "GamerGate" make the news, a new poll shows that 40 percent of Internet users have been personally harassed online and 73 percent have seen it happen to other people. Young people have it the worst: 70 percent of Internet users ages 18 to 24 said that they had been harassed, according to the poll of 2,849 web users by the Pew Research Center. Where is this happening? Mostly on social networking sites (66 percent), followed by the comments sections of websites (22 percent) and online gaming (16 percent). While both men and women reported being called offensive names, young women reported much higher instances of being stalked and sexually harassed.
The poll also asked which online "neighborhoods" were most welcoming to women. While social networking and online dating sites were deemed women-friendly, one neighborhood stood out as a boy's club. That would be online gaming, which 44 percent of respondents said was more welcoming to men.
IN-DEPTH
- New home of Cyberbullying? Yik Yak Gossip App Takes Off in High Schools
- 'Massacre' Threat Shut Down Video Game Critic Anita Sarkeesian Talk
- Facebook’s Top Content Cop on Censorship and Safety (Re/Code)
