Online Violence

Online Violence

Working to end online violence and abuse

With the continuous and rapid advancement of technology, we have seen the sudden shift of our daily social, professional, and economic routines to online spaces. 

 While this has been a positive advancement for many, we have also witnessed a sharp rise in the rate of online violence across the world, including in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Low digital literacy and a culture of shame and societal stigma, has led to violent consequences, especially for women and children, with the likelihood of online violence shifting to offline spaces continuously increasing. 

 Online Violence (OV) - including violence facilitated by the use of technology - is when someone uses the internet or technology - like phones, social media, or games - to harm, threaten, or abuse others.

81.7%
of the population are connected to the internet
580,000+
reports of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse in 2024
8th
globally - Iraq ranks among countries with highest CyberTipline reports

Definitions

An act of violence perpetrated by one or more individuals that is committed, assisted, aggravated and amplified in part or fully by the use of information and communication technologies or digital media, against a person on the basis of their gender. Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) primarily refers to cases involving individuals aged 18 and above.
A broad term encompassing a range of harmful activities for children with sexual connotations. It includes specific offenses such as production and distribution of photos and videos depicting children involved in a sexual activity, and online grooming of children. Cases involving individuals below the age of 18 typically fall under the scope of TF-CSEA.

OV can have a significant impact on an individual's mental health and well-being, and should be taken seriously. In order to stop online violence, we must improve public understanding, strengthen legislative frameworks and institutional strategies to guide response, and build the capacity of local protection actors to ensure survivors and those at-risk receive effective, survivor-centered care.

Types of Online Violence

Consists of using images to coerce, threaten, harass, objectify or abuse. One form of IBA is image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), which involves at least one of three behaviors: taking, sharing or threatening to share sexually explicit images without consent.
An act of violence perpetrated by one or more individuals that is committed, assisted, aggravated and amplified in part or fully by the use of information and communication technologies or digital media, against a person on the basis of their gender. When this involves individuals under 18, it is classified as Technology-Facilitated Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (TF-CSEA) and requires child protection interventions.
The sexual abuse of children that is facilitated by technology (e.g. online grooming) and the sexual abuse of children that is committed elsewhere and then streamed or repeated by sharing it online through, for instance, images and videos.
Informally known as 'Sextortion', is the act of threatening to share information about an individual (including images or videos) to the public, their friends or family online, unless a demand is met.
All acts of a sexually exploitative nature carried out against a child that have, at some stage, a connection to the digital environment. It includes any use of technology that results in sexual exploitation or causes a child to be sexually exploited or that results in or causes images or other material documenting such sexual exploitation to be produced, bought, sold, possessed, distributed, or transmitted.
Any kind of communication in speech, writing or behavior, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender or other identity factor.
The act of communicating false statements about a person that injure the reputation of that person.
Use of technology to stalk and monitor someone's activities and behaviors in real-time or historically. It involves repeated unwanted monitoring, communication, or threats.
Disclosure of personal data online along with malicious suggestions for others to contact the person to cause more harm or with indecent intent.
Use of technology to gain illegal or unauthorized access to systems or resources for the purpose of acquiring personal information, altering or modifying information, or slandering and denigrating the survivor.

Deliver Transformational Services

Protecting and supporting survivors of OV and those at-risk by providing comprehensive mental health support, legal services, and cash assistance

Empower Communities

  • Carrying out awareness raising campaigns, including 'You and Your Conscience'
  • Developing and implementing tailored curricula for adolescents and their parents on OV and online safety measures through programs such as Thriving Teens and SEED Girls
  • Equipping women in leadership with tools and knowledge of how to protect and respond to online threats

Increase Local Capacity

  • Training and educating government and NGO frontline responders
  • Developing Standard Operating Procedures for frontline service providers
  • Develop toolkit for and train local NGOs on how to raise awareness of and respond to OCSEA

Strengthen Systems

  • Conducting research to strengthen the understanding of how OV manifests in Iraq and how it is being responded to
  • Strengthening legislation to criminalize OV and provide legal protections for survivors
  • Support to establish a response mechanism to address OCSEA cases in KRI

The Iraq National Online Violence Task Force

Established in 2021 with support from the Iraq GBV Sub-Cluster, the Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) Task Force was created to address the rising incidence of digital forms of GBV across Iraq. In 2024, recognizing the need for an increased scope, the Task Force rebranded as the Online Violence Task Force (OVTF). The OVTF now operates under a broader mandate, tackling a wide spectrum of online violence which includes Technology Facilitated Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (TF-CSEA), cyberbullying, image-based abuse, and technology-facilitated harassment.

The Iraq OVTF brings together NGOs, civil society, and government entities to strengthen collaboration and build on the prevention of, and response to, online violence across Iraq to ensure that survivors and those at-risk of online violence are protected, supported, and empowered. SEED currently serves as co-chair.

Task Force Objectives

  • Enhance coordination among members and other key stakeholders
  • Support knowledge sharing of key concepts, learnings, trends, approaches, and risks related to online violence
  • Generate joint strategies and tools to prevent and respond to online violence
  • Facilitate capacity strengthening for members and frontline responders
  • Advocate for improved policies, programs, and systems that address online violence at local, regional, and national levels

Toward Safe Digital Spaces

The Importance of Legislation to Address Online Violence in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region

Online violence has emerged as a new and insidious threat in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, with profound implications for the well-being of all, but particularly grave consequences for already vulnerable groups, including women and children.

This technical brief introduces the phenomenon of online violence and the role of legislation in addressing it. By examining relevant international standards for combating violence against women and children in the digital dimension and assessing the current legislative environment in Iraq and the Kurdistan against those benchmarks, this paper establishes the core components of a strong legislative response to online violence and argues that swift and concerted action is needed to preserve essential rights and protections in an increasingly digital world.

Read the full technical brief →

Resources

Venn Diagram Flyer

Visual guide to understanding different types of online violence

Online Violence General Flyer

Comprehensive information about online violence and prevention

TFGBV Explainer Video

Multilingual explainer on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence