Online sexual harassment: The public has a higher threshold for behaviors that constitute unline harassment" public than for behaviors higher that necessitate a response from social media platforms Given the following scenario % of U.S. adults who say the following about each
And as was the case in the preceding scenario, the public has differing views on which aspects of this story represent online harassment. A very small share of Americans (3%) think Julie’s initial disagreement with her friends counts as online harassment. Some 43% consider it harassment when she begins to receive unkind messages, while around one-in-five (17%) consider it harassment when her post is shared by the popular blogger with thousands of followers. Meanwhile, substantial majorities of Americans think Julie is being harassed when she receives vulgar messages about her looks and sexual behavior (85%), when her picture is edited to include sexual images (84%), and when she receives threatening messages (85%).
For example, some 43% of Americans consider it to be online harassment when Julie receives unkind messages from the people reading her post – but just 20% think that the platform should have stepped in to address that behavior when it occurred. The public’s attitudes diverge in similar ways on some of the more severe behaviors in the scenario. Most prominently, 85% of Americans think that Julie experiences online harassment when she begins to receive vulgar messages about her looks and sexual behavior. But substantially fewer (although still a majority at 66%) think that the social media platform has an obligation to step in and address that behavior.
Online sexual harassment: The public has a higher threshold for behaviors that  | constitute unline harassment" public than for behaviors higher that necessitate a response  | from social media platforms  | Given the following scenario  | % of U.S. adults who say the following about each  | element of the scenario  | Julie posts on her social media account,  | They consider it online harassment  | defending one side of a controversial political  | The social media platform should intervene  | issue. a few people reply to her, with some  | 3%  | Julie's friends first disagree with her  | 2%  | supporting and some opposing her As more  | 43  | people see her post, Julie receives unkind  | Julle receives unkind messages  | 20  | messages Eventually her post is shared by a  | Julie "s post is shared by a  | popular blogger with thousands of followers,  | popular blogger  | and Julie receives vulgar messages that insult  | Julie receives vulgar messages about  | 85  | her looks fand sexual behavior  | 66  | her looks and sexual behavior. She also notices  | Julie's picture is edited to  | 84  | people posting pictures of her that have been  | include sexual images  | edited to include sexual images Eventually, she  | 86  | Julie receives threatening messages  | 76  | receives threatening messages  | Source: Survey conducted March 13-27 2017.  | "Crossing Survey the Line: conducted What Counts March as 13-27 Online 2017. Harassment?"  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 