Gendered cyberhate as workplace harassment and economic vandalism

Research into the proliferation of abuse and harassment currently being directed towards women online is in its early stages and could arguably benefit from: (1) the provision of more case studies for discussion; and (2) a focus on specific dimensions of the gendered cyberhate problem rather than on the issue as a whole. This article responds to these research gaps by providing 15 new Australian case studies focusing on one particular ramification of cyber abuse and harassment abuse: the adverse impact on women’s livelihoods. These show that women workers who receive gendered cyberhate in forms that constitute a form of workplace harassment and/or economic vandalism have few to no means of obtaining support or redress. This is due to a combination of: “precarious” work circumstances; a blurring of personal and professional contexts; and the fact that emerging, electronic iterations of workplace abuse and harassment tend to slip between the cracks of existing laws and policies (which are already barely adequate).