What Are the Main Points
Proposed in the Current
Research and What Is the
Proposed Legislative
Framework?
A. Defining Digital Violence and
What Constitutes Criminalized Acts
Definitions related to digital violence are numerous. Below is an overview of some of
these definitions and the most important terms.
Digital violence is a global and growing phenomenon. It encompasses a range of
harmful behaviors committed through digital means. While each country has its
own context and different forms of this phenomenon, including electronic
surveillance, hacking personal accounts, and the dissemination of private photos
without consent, all aimed at controlling or harming the victim.
Unfortunately, there is a significant lack of comprehensive research on digital violence
in Lebanon and in many other countries. This hinders the understanding of the experiences
of victims and develop effective responses. However, by identifying the most common types
of digital violence, we can work to provide knowledge and legal solutions.
These acts include privacy violations, online abuse, exploitation, incitement and hate speech crimes,
and threats of physical violence.
Nevertheless, this type of violence leaves deep negative impacts on its victims, potentially leading to
depression, weakened or lost self-confidence, anxiety, and social isolation. It also contributes to creating
an unsafe and toxic digital environment, far from freedom. This reality requires multi-level responses to
address it, from prevention and awareness to legal intervention to protect victims, establish a deterrent path,
and build a safer digital society for all.
Herein lies the importance of the definition provided by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in its 2021 Tip
Sheet on Reporting Digital Violence: A Practical Reference Guide for Journalists and Media: “any act of violence perpetrated
by one or more individuals that is based on gender inequality and gender norms and is committed, assisted, aggravated and
amplified in whole or in part using ICTs or digital media, against a person on the basis of their gender.”
It is perhaps necessary to understand power relations and analyze their dynamics from a gender perspective for a more effective
in-depth understanding of digital violence, that is, by transforming every action and every campaign in the digital space into part
of a study on building gender-based power in the digital space. Herein lies the importance of the definition provided by the
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in its 2021 advisory note on reporting digital violence: a practical reference guide for
journalists and media outlets, which states: "Any act of violence committed by one or more individuals that stems from gender
inequality and gender norms, and is committed, aided, aggravated, or amplified in part or entirely by the use of information and
communication technologies or digital media, against a person based on their gender."
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