In an era dominated by digital connectivity, the darker aspects of online interaction, particularly among adolescents, demand urgent and nuanced examination. Recent comprehensive research sheds light on how deeply ingrained social inequalities, especially those pertaining to gender and sexuality, underpin various forms of online violence. Far from isolated incidents or mere youthful indiscretions, these behaviors are woven into the fabric of societal relations, manifesting in cyberbullying, cyberhate, and online grooming. This new study, conducted across multiple European countries and encompassing both qualitative and quantitative methods, unravels the complex interplay between gender dynamics and victimization patterns, offering critical insights into how aggression is not only perpetrated but also socially normalized among youths.
Traditional approaches to online violence often focus on individuals, framing aggressors and victims in simplistic roles divorced from broader social contexts. Contrastingly, this latest investigation embraces a sociological lens, exploring how gender relations and sexual orientation influence both the susceptibility to online violence and the forms it takes. By incorporating perspectives from adolescents themselves, the research moves beyond statistics, tapping into lived experiences and perceptions that reveal troubling patterns of acceptance and trivialisation. This methodological innovation underscores the importance of understanding online aggression not merely as isolated acts, but as phenomena embedded in entrenched power dynamics and cultural norms.
Central to the study was an analysis of three prevalent varieties of adolescent online victimization: cyberbullying, cyberhate, and online grooming. Cyberbullying involves repeated hostile behaviors intended to intimidate or humiliate, often leveraging anonymity and the viral nature of social media. Cyberhate extends this harm with targeted harassment rooted in identity markers such as gender or sexual orientation. Online grooming, perhaps the most insidious, involves manipulative strategies by predators to exploit vulnerabilities, often under the guise of friendship or romance. By dissecting these distinct yet overlapping categories, the researchers aimed to construct a multidimensional portrait of risk factors and victim experiences shaped by gender.
Methodologically, the study is remarkable for its mixed-methods design. Eight discussion groups with adolescents across five European nations—Spain, Portugal, Greece, Estonia, and Slovakia—formed the qualitative backbone, facilitating rich dialogue about personal experiences, social dynamics, and individual interpretations of online threats. This approach granted participants the status of co-researchers, validating their expertise regarding the digital spaces they inhabit. Complementing this, a quantitative survey reached representative samples of 682 adolescents in Madrid and 415 in Estonia, enabling rigorous statistical comparison and validation of qualitative findings. Such triangulation ensures robustness and offers a rare blend of depth and breadth rarely achieved in studies of adolescent online violence.
One of the striking findings pertains to the gendered nature of victimization and aggression. The research reveals that females and individuals with diverse sexual orientations experience higher levels of certain types of online violence, particularly forms that intersect with sexual identity and gender expression. This aligns with broader societal patterns where marginalized groups disproportionately suffer from discrimination and harassment. Importantly, the study demonstrates that these disparities are not random but rooted in gender relations that dictate power and acceptability. For example, derogatory comments disguised as ‘jokes’ often serve to trivialize serious abuse, normalizing hostility toward groups already socially vulnerable.
Another key insight concerns how aggression operates within adolescent peer groups. The research dissects the subtle ways in which aggressive behaviors are socially sanctioned or even encouraged, depending on gender norms. Boys may express aggression in more overt, confrontational ways that receive social rewards, while girls can face a paradoxical situation where victimization is both prevalent and dismissed as harmless or typical ‘drama.’ Social acceptance of such behaviors reinforces cycles of victimization, complicating efforts to address them through conventional disciplinary or educational measures. These dynamics highlight a critical need for interventions that challenge underlying gender stereotypes and foster empathy.
The exploration of online grooming from a gendered perspective also breaks new ground. The data suggest that risk perception varies notably with gender and sexual orientation, influencing how adolescents navigate online relationships and recognize predatory tactics. This dimension underscores the intersectionality embedded in digital risk environments: vulnerability is heightened not merely by age but by how identity is constructed and perceived. The nuanced understanding of grooming presented in this study has important implications for prevention programs, emphasizing tailored messages that resonate with different adolescent experiences rather than one-size-fits-all warnings.
Behind this ambitious project stands the European Union Horizon 2020 initiative RAYUELA, which seeks to develop innovative educational resources, including videogames, to equip children with skills to avoid cybercrime. This contextual anchor reflects a commitment to grounded, actionable research designed to inform policy and practice. By first establishing a firm empirical foundation rooted in youths’ perceptions, the project aims to foster digital literacy that is sensitive to gender and intersectionality, equipping adolescents not just to defend themselves but to challenge the cultural norms that perpetuate online violence.
Ethical rigor was paramount throughout the study, with approval from the university ethics committee and informed consent obtained from participants and their guardians. Such protocols are essential when engaging vulnerable populations on sensitive topics. The researchers’ decision to balance participant demographics across gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity also exemplifies best practices in inclusive research design, ensuring findings represent diverse adolescent realities rather than monolithic experiences.
The implications of these findings ripple across multiple domains. For educators, there is a pressing need to integrate gender-aware frameworks into digital citizenship curricula, moving beyond technical skills to address social relationships and power structures. For policymakers, the research underscores that legislative efforts to combat online violence must consider intersectionality to avoid ineffective or exclusionary policies. For platform designers and tech companies, the insights call for more sophisticated content moderation and user safety mechanisms that recognize the gendered nuances of online harassment.
Public discourse has often trivialized adolescent online aggression, with phrases like “It’s just a joke” minimizing the real harm inflicted. This study powerfully challenges that narrative, exposing how such dismissals enable ongoing abuse and silence victims. Elevating adolescent voices and perspectives reveals the emotional and psychological toll of online violence far beyond statistics, urging a cultural shift that refuses normalization of harassment and prioritizes respect and dignity in digital spaces.
Moreover, this research opens avenues for further scientific inquiry. Future studies could explore longitudinal trajectories to understand how early online victimization affects later psychosocial outcomes. Comparative analyses across different cultural contexts may illuminate the influence of societal gender regimes on online aggression patterns. Interventions designed and tested with adolescent input can provide models for effective prevention and response, bridging research and practice.
As digital environments continue to expand and become integral to adolescent life, understanding the intersecting roles of gender, sexuality, and power in shaping online violence is crucial. This pioneering European study offers a comprehensive and compelling analysis, reinforcing that combating cyberbullying, cyberhate, and online grooming requires holistic strategies grounded in social realities. Only through such informed efforts can societies hope to create safer, more equitable digital worlds where young people can thrive free from harm.
Subject of Research: The relationship between gender relations, sexual orientation, and forms of adolescent online violence including cyberbullying, cyberhate, and online grooming.
Article Title: “It’s just a joke”: gender, sexuality and trivialisation in adolescent online violence such as cyberhate, cyberbullying, and online grooming.
Article References:
Reneses, M., Riberas-Gutiérrez, M. & Bueno-Guerra, N. “It’s just a joke”: gender, sexuality and trivialisation in adolescent online violence such as cyberhate, cyberbullying, and online grooming. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 740 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04928-3
Image Credits: AI Generated
