Norton Study Shows Online Harassment At Epidemic Proportions for Young New Zealand Women
72% of Kiwi women under 30 experience online harassment; 52% of all Kiwi women
AUCKLAND, New Zealand – 20 July 2016 – Norton by Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) today released research which reveals that almost three quarters of New Zealand women
(72 percent) under the age of 30 have experienced some form of online harassment. While online harassment affects more
young women, more than half (52 percent) of all Kiwi women have been targeted.
The Norton survey, Online Harassment: The New Zealand Woman’s Experience*, shows that forms of online harassment range from unwanted contact, trolling, character assassinations, and
cyberbullying to sexual harassment and threats of physical violence, rape and death.The survey also reveals the
significant emotional toll it takes on women in New Zealand.
Despite 70 percent of New Zealand women identifying online harassment as a serious problem in 2016, more than one third
(39 percent) will choose to ignore it. In addition, only 9 percent of New Zealand women report perpetrators of the
online harassment to police.
Melissa Dempsey, Senior Director, Asia Pacific, Norton by Symantec, said the findings provide some insights into the
implications of online harassment for New Zealand women.
“This survey uncovers the prevalence of harassment against women in the online world, and sheds light on the extent of
the problem in our society. It also exposes the high emotional toll online harassment is having on New Zealand women and
brings to light the uncomfortable truth that some Kiwi women are feeling violated, abused and frightened by their online
experiences.”
“At Norton, our mission is to inspire people to boldly go online, confident that they are safe from all forms of harm.
Protecting the world’s online community is no easy feat but awareness and collaboration between the IT industry,
policing and law enforcement agencies can play an enormous role in reducing online harassment and preventing it from
becoming an established norm in our digital society,” added Dempsey.
Experiences of Online Harassment
The survey reveals one in seven women have been affected by general threats of physical violence including death, rape
and sexual assault. This figure rose to one in four (23 percent) for women aged under 30.
The harassment is frequently of a sexual nature. 1 in 10 women have experienced graphic sexual harassment, rising to
nearly 1 in 5 (18 percent) for women under 30. Threats of sexual violence are shockingly common experiences. One in 14
women have been threatened with sexual violence/rape, rising to 1 in 10 women under 44. In addition, one in four
lesbian, bisexual and transgender women who had suffered serious harassment said their sexual orientation had been
targeted.
According to the survey, 19 percent of women identified their physical appearance as being singled out in an attack,
followed by weight (16 percent) and gender (10 percent). Of disabled women who were harassed online, their disability
was attacked in 1 in 5 cases. Social media (69 percent), text messages (24 percent) and email (22 percent) were most
commonly used to facilitate online harassment.
Lee Chisholm, Netsafe Training and Education Specialist says NetSafe routinely receives reports from New Zealanders
regarding online harassment and abuse, much of which is relentless and often devastating for those targeted.
“We receive a higher percentage of reports of personal harm from females than males. Anyone who is harassed or abused
online needs positive support as well as practical expertise - which can be accessed through NetSafe.”
Impact of Online Harassment
The effects of online harassment vary, but many women had feelings of anger (37 percent), irritation (34 percent),
frustration (32 percent) and anxiousness (26 percent). Disturbingly, some six percent of New Zealand women felt
suicidal.
The implications of online harassment are significant:
• More than one in five (21 percent) felt depressed
• Almost one in five women (17 percent) felt helpless or vulnerable in their situation; 14 percent felt violated or
abused and 11 percent felt frightened
• Almost one in 10 (nine percent) needed to seek professional help for depression or anxiety
• 12 percent of women felt powerless to do anything about their experience
• Almost one in 10 (8 percent) stated that online harassment negatively affected their work or studies
The impact of online harassment caused 26 percent of the New Zealand women surveyed to enhance the privacy settings on
their social media accounts; 25 percent changed the nature of relationships with some friends; 21 percent lost friends;
and eight percent closed their social media account.
How to Tackle Online Harassment
• REVIEW your online presence
– Check your security and privacy settings
– Protect your mobile device
– Regularly change passwords
• RECOGNISE the problem if it happens and move quickly
– Do not respond to the perpetrator
– Keep all records and evidence of the harassment by making a copy of the message, photo or video
– If you are witness to online harassment, help by supporting the target and depending on the situation, letting the
perpetrators know that their behavior is not acceptable
• REPORT
– If someone says or does something that is inappropriate or deemed as harassment, report it to the relevant authorities
immediately
– If inappropriate content is displayed online, contact the website operators by phone or email requesting the content
be removed or blocked
– If the emotional impact of online harassment takes its toll on your wellbeing or that of someone you care for, please
reach out for help
*More information about the Online Harassment: The New Zealand Woman’s Experience Report can be found at:www.norton.com/nz/survey-women
About The Norton Online Harassment: The New Zealand Woman’s Experience Report
Norton by Symantec commissioned an online quantitative survey through Morar Consulting in February 2016, with 536
females in New Zealand aged 18 and over. The survey aimed to understand New Zealand women’s exposure to online
harassment and the impact of these experiences.
About Symantec
Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC) is the global leader in cybersecurity. Operating one of the world’s largest cyber
intelligence networks, we see more threats, and protect more customers from the next generation of attacks. We help
companies, governments and individuals secure their most important data wherever it lives.
ends