There is a wide-ranging controversy surrounding Yemen's cyberspace, which has increasingly turned into a chaotic and unsafe environment for women and girls, especially with the rising number of female victims and the subsequent psychological and social consequences, as evidenced by several recent incidents, particularly those involving young women who have fallen victim to Online Blackmail.
In a voice filled with sorrow, the young journalist Nouran Al-Naqeeb, 21 years old, shares the story of her struggle and painful experiences with the cyberbullying and mockery she has faced on social media, which have deeply affected her.
Nouran says, "Bullying has been a major part of my life, often triggered by the most trivial reasons. However, I chose not to let it affect me, but rather to make it a source of strength and resilience for me. I became more determined to continue on my path because I realized that any successful person must face challenges and overcome obstacles."
Actually, the methods and behaviors of some individuals on social media have sparked widespread debate and criticism, as they have contributed to creating a hostile and frightening environment for women and girls. Many women suffer from these issues on social media, as these practices often turn into outright hostility towards women, extending into their family lives and social interactions.
In an interview with "Khuyut," Salwa Ali, a young woman in her twenties, tells "Khuyut" that the situation in the cyberspace has become alarming, noting that many users seem to have no other goal than to pursue and harass the girls in a hostile manner, in addition to engaging in harassment and exploiting some girls' lack of knowledge about how to use these platforms safely.
A Controversy on the Current Chaos
Meanwhile, Rawiya Mohammed, in her interview with "Khuyut," touched upon an important point in this regard: which is that the matter reaches the point of intrusion into and scrutiny of the pages and accounts of female social media users or the organizations they work for. Sometimes, these organizations post photos of events they organize, which may include images of female employees, workers, or participants in certain activities.
“The cyberbullying, hostility, harassment, mockery, stalking, exploitation, and blackmail occurring on social media platforms can lead to severe negative psychological effects on those subjected to such behaviors. Among these effects are lowered self-esteem, heightened anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation, as well as increased stress and anger, difficulty in controlling emotions. In some cases, the situation may deteriorate further and potentially lead to severe consequences with the escalation of discussions, public uproar, and rumors.”
As a result, there are those who resort to violent and unusual behaviors, starting with harassment and persistent communication. Moreover, Some may go as far as sending such images, or others, to the victim's family members, who may not understand the nature of the images being circulated. The intent behind these actions is to defame and incite the family and society against the victim, which not only fosters a hostile environment in the digital space but also extends this violence into the broader community.
Agreeing with this perspective, 30-year-old Ameer Hamza, who shares with "Khuyut" how his life was turned upside down due to the defamation and bullying he faced online. He saw his photos being circulated on Facebook by people claiming that he was fraternizing and photographed with girls, even though they were just his colleagues at work. Consequently, this greatly affected his psychological state, making him wonder how much worse it must be for girls and women, who are often targeted by some on Facebook and other platforms solely for the purpose of harassing and stalking them.
Privacy Violations
Fraud, hacking, privacy violations, and attempts at breaching accounts are becoming increasingly common with the widespread use of social media and the rapid expansion of its user base.
This rise occurs alongside a noticeable increase in the number of victims, many of whom are often unaware of the necessary protective measures needed to ensure some level of cybersecurity. In addition to the consequences of misuse, there are also—most importantly—issues of privacy violations, harassment, bullying, mockery, and blackmail.
Dr. Abdulkarim Ghanem, a professor of sociology at Sana’a University, confirms to "Khuyut" that this type of content is highly favored by audiences and recipients, spreading widely and rapidly across social media platforms. According to him, audiences tend to focus on individuals' negative aspects while ignoring their positives, leading to long-lasting negative associations that impact individuals both psychologically and socially.
Dr. Abdulkarim also points out that the current chaos in the cyberspace and the spread of certain negative cases could lead to a deterioration in the quality of digital content. Harassing and mocking content often attracts a lot of attention and likes, which in turn diminishes the focus on meaningful content that might have a more limited audience.
This is evident in the transformation of many issues, which may sometimes start as ordinary ones—such as a girl posting a simple picture on her account, a video, or a status update featuring a song or something similar, or an incident where girls and women are victims, or even in cases of misunderstanding or issue with platform use unintentionally—into trending topics and public opinion matters that are continually discussed. These instances can be harmful and offensive to the victims, adding to the fear and violence that arise as a result.
In this regard, Dr. Abdulkarim calls for the need to raise community awareness about the importance of positive online behavior and interactions and to enhance the quality of digital content to help create a healthy and productive digital environment for everyone.
Panic and Psychological Disorders
In this context, psychologist Eman Al-Buraihi explains that the cyberbullying, hostility, stalking, mockery, harassment, exploitation, and extortion occurring on social media can lead to severe negative psychological effects on those exposed to such behavior.
These effects include lowered self-esteem, heightened anxiety, depression, and social isolation, as well as increased stress and anger, difficulty in controlling emotions. In some cases, the situation may deteriorate further and potentially lead to severe consequences with the escalation of discussions, public uproar, and rumors, as has been seen recently with girls who have been exploited and threatened.
Furthermore, as Al-Buraihi explains, the negative impact extends to both mental and physical health, such as increased levels of stress and anxiety, and also symptoms of psychological disorders such as panic attacks and depression may emerge.
She adds that there is a link between the psychological state of individuals who have experienced bullying or exploitation and the quality of content they post on social media. Some may use these platforms to express their negative feelings, anger, or discomfort, and might have a desperate need for attention and interaction from others. They may resort to posting controversial or attention-grabbing content to attract more followers or engagement. Conversely, others might use social media as an escape from their problems.
Raising Cyberbullying Awareness
Cyberbullying is not limited to individuals; it also extends to institutions. Moataz Al-Sharjabi, an activist in violence issues, confirms to "Khuyut" that some institutions also face cyberbullying, mockery, and various forms of harassment through social media platforms.
In this concern, Al-Sharjabi emphasizes the importance of awareness in addressing these issues, as social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. Therefore, he believes that all sectors, including mosques and schools, should engage with this issue and work towards solutions. He also suggests launching online campaigns to promote responsible usage and raise awareness about how to protect privacy, such as campaigns encouraging the use of blocking and reporting features, which can help reduce the prevalence of these widespread negative hostile phenomena.
Yemeni law, under Article 292 of the Penal Code, stipulates that anyone who insults another person, excluding accusations of adultery, shall be punished with imprisonment for up to two years or with a fine, even if the accusations made against the person are true.
