Police awareness campaign targets online predators threatening women and girls

AWARENESS of however women are targeted by online enactment predators is to beryllium raised with a run highlighting the expanding issues of offences including cyberflashing, cyberstalking and threats of rape.

South Yorkshire Police has launched the pioneering ‘Know More’ astir online maltreatment and harassment against pistillate and girls, arsenic the unit attempts to marque women safer arsenic they are retired and astir successful the upcoming festive season

The run volition amended victims – and wider members of the nationalist - that attacks are ne'er “just a joke”, “banter” oregon “fun” and tin person real-life impacts connected the women and girls who acquisition it.

Know More calls retired online maltreatment and harassment by highlighting however it tin hap connected immoderate integer instrumentality and successful immoderate determination – astatine home, astatine work, successful town, oregon connected nationalist transport.

It is launched contiguous connected International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and focuses connected the crimes of cyberflashing, cyberstalking, threats of harm, rape and death, and the intentional sharing of mendacious accusation online. Some of these are caller offences introduced nether the Online Safety Act 2023.

Assistant Chief Constable Hayley Barnett said: “Not lone bash we spot unit against women and girls successful the existent world, but sadly nationwide we’re besides witnessing a concerning emergence successful the fig of reports of online maltreatment and harassment with stalking and harassment accounting for 23% of each online offences.

“But we cognize it is inactive heavy underreported, truthful we’re encouraging everyone to recognize the seriousness of these appalling behaviours and recognise them for what they are – crimes that person agelong lasting implications for victims.

“If we each cognize much astir online maltreatment and study to police, we tin assistance halt unit against women and girls.”

While each of america are sadly astatine hazard of online harm and maltreatment from perpetrators, women with a needfully nationalist online profile, specified arsenic influencers, politicians oregon journalists, are disproportionately affected.

Three quarters of women moving successful journalism successful the UK person experienced rape oregon decease threats, harassment and stalking, according to precocious published data.”

The run besides includes a video recorded by Dr Rebecca Whittington, a writer who is the online information serviceman moving for Daily Express’ genitor institution Reach, who has bravely chosen to stock her communicative of online maltreatment and the interaction connected her enactment and idiosyncratic beingness successful enactment of the Know More campaign.

For much accusation visit: www.nomore-standwithus.com