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  • February 18, 2025
Insight into the rise of digital abuse

Insight into the rise of digital abuse

As we recently saw 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, it is important to recognize that while physical abuse remains a critical issue, another subtle form of violence, which often escapes the spotlight, is on the rise .

Digital abuse is a form of abuse that has seen an alarming increase in recent years, especially in today’s fast-paced world where the concept of cell phone dependence is real.

Thanks to social media algorithms, carefully curated content is now at your fingertips, making mobile phones an indispensable tool. While phones have become an indispensable device in a modern and ever-changing world, this has led to a disturbing increase in incidents of cyberbullying, digital abuse, online harassment and revenge porn.

Emma Sadlier, social media expert at the Digital Law Company, believes that digital abuse is not only widespread, but has reached the level of an international crisis.

“So what I see in my practice is the rise of images of people being used to harm them. We call it visual violence. We talked a lot about revenge porn. Now we are dealing with a lot of images created by artificial intelligence, but basically all a human needs is pictures of someone, they can press a few buttons, there are also all these apps available and they are even in the hands of primary school children , and they can turn each other into deepfake nudes,” she said.

Sadlier adds that image violence is increasing at a disturbing rate.

“Thank God, however, we have the emergence of several new laws. For example, if you threaten someone with violence or threats to damage property in the form of a data or digital message, that is an offense under the Cybercrime Act,” she says.

A UNICEF report published in 2021 found that 95% of children in the country have regular access to the internet; with 70% of respondents reporting using the internet without their parents’ permission.

Another 25% confirmed that they have added people they have never met in person to their friends or contact list, and 18% have sent a photo or video of themselves to someone they have never met in person.

Digital abuse, like any other form of abuse, can be harmful and cause emotional and psychological damage. Teenagers are particularly at risk, with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) saying online and digital abuse covers a range of abuse.

Caley Wood from SADAG says the prevalence of this type of abuse is worrying.

“It’s very prevalent at the moment and I think the different forms of abuse make it difficult,” she added.

According to Wood, devices have become “digital best friends” for many. Therefore, this behavior is not only common, but also an everyday occurrence that is often difficult to monitor or even control.

However, Wood offers this advice to parents.

“What I would always recommend is to set clear boundaries online. That is something very important, including blocking, muting the user, limiting social media abuse, focusing on self-care activities and reporting that is very critical,” Wood added.

Dr. Eileen Carter of the South African Human Rights Commission believes that digital abuse or cyberbullying is mainly used to perpetuate harm to women.

“It is so important for women to know that they can go to court and ask for intervention, whether that is through the Protection against Harassment Act, or through the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act. There are avenues of redress for women,”

“We need to start speaking out a bit more and making sure people are aware of the types of redress that are available. This cannot be a silent battle, there are mechanisms that our law provides for victims, and it really is time we popularize these laws,” Carter said.

In a landmark ruling by the Gauteng High Court in November 2024, a Germiston woman successfully sued a couple for distributing revenge porn on Facebook. The court awarded her R3.5 million in damages.

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