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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

Rape Threats on Twitter

268 replies

BitBewildered · 27/07/2013 18:11

I've just seen this story on the BBC news app. I've not been on Twitter very much lately and am off to have a look now, but at first glance, what the actual fuck?!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23477130

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Italiangreyhound · 27/07/2013 18:27

Just reading this. Wondered where the campaign was because could not find it.

uk.news.yahoo.com/twitter-rape-row-abuse-10-note-campaigner-170113413.html#bhgoTMQ

It is total crap and I am just so tired of all this what the f*ck have these people go to do with their time but make threats?

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BitBewildered · 27/07/2013 18:52

Here's the link for the report abuse button on Twitter petition.

I just don't understand it. Thank the gods for my DH or I'd be convinced that all men are arseholes ...

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BasilBabyEater · 27/07/2013 22:35

Laurie Pennie tweeted something to the effect that Germaine Greer once said that women have no idea how much men hate them, but that thanks to the internet, we now do.

What is very depressing about this is that the usual response to this shit is: well not ALL men do it (so therefore we shouldn't make a fuss about it).

If it were any other group etc.

I wonder how long women and men are going to stubbornly embrace denial about this misogyny problem.

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enpanne · 28/07/2013 10:55

A bit of perspective please, a few nutters on the internet are not representative of 50% of the population.

On another note why does the BBC 'technology correspondent' have FA better to do than comment on the drivel that low-IQ idiots post on twitter. Twitter qualifies as technology to about the same level as a rolling pin.

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MurderOfGoths · 28/07/2013 11:01

I was about to come on and say I was tired of all the "oh it's only twitter" comments..

It's not acceptable anywhere, and leaving the comments up is as good as condoning it. Threats should mean bans.

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poppymagnum · 28/07/2013 11:10

I had been following this on twitter. Some of the things that people said to that woman were despicable. It really made me wonder whether parts of society will ever understand how awful this is.

I was also really disappointed with some slebs alluding to the fact that it was just 14 year old boys trolling and that they should be ignored.

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BitBewildered · 28/07/2013 11:15

A bit of perspective please, a few nutters on the internet are not representative of 50% of the population. Gosh enpanne, thanks for explaining that.

It's wrong and disgusting to expect a woman to put up with rape threats whether they are online or otherwise. HTH

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betterthanever · 28/07/2013 13:37

Good to see it getting so much coverage on Sky News today - she has come across very well, highlighting a number of issues and I think they are covering a lot of ground on it.
Sky news have even said that people have been telling her to `ignore it' and she has refused to. I will be signing the petition.

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MurderOfGoths · 28/07/2013 15:42

I've seen people saying "ignore it"

Daft thing is, I was given that advice back when I was at school and I followed it, I was still bullied for another 7 years. It only stopped when I lost my temper and told the bully to fuck off. So I think it is flawed advice, and even more so when you then talk about the internet.

It's also forgetting that trolling isn't necessarily about getting a rise out of the victim. It's also about gaining "cred" with peers. So even if the victims keep quiet and try to ignore the threats, it will still escalate as all the trolls try to out-troll each other. Good article here. Ignoring doesn't make them go away, you are better off taking away something they want eg. twitter access.

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Italiangreyhound · 28/07/2013 17:07

Since when was the advice to ignore terrible behaviour/threats (or anything else which is cruel) ever a sensible response? In sport if there are racist comments they are (or should be) dealt with, no one would say oh just ignore it they are showing their ignorance! If people shout out in court does the judge just term to the jury and say 'ignore them'.

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betterthanever · 28/07/2013 18:11

Exactly Italian they are using the `do not feed the troll' advice for thier own agenda. Good article murder

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kim147 · 28/07/2013 18:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MurderOfGoths · 28/07/2013 18:30

"If someone can get arrested for tweeting about blowing up an airport, then surely this deserves real action?"

Quite. Which is more likely? Blowing up an airport of raping someone? Hmm.. let me think...

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betterthanever · 28/07/2013 18:36

They have said on the news earlier that the police are investigating. I am glad to hear that and hope arrests will be made and highly publicised.

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betterthanever · 28/07/2013 18:43

Sky News have just said a 21 year old from Manchester has been arrested Smile hope to hear of more arrests. Unless there are consequences to these actions, especially when so overt, they will continue.

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RubyThePirate · 28/07/2013 19:03

Excellent news that they've nicked this despicable little shit.

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BitBewildered · 28/07/2013 20:03

Yes, it's good news that an arrest has been made. Smile

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BitBewildered · 28/07/2013 20:06

Wow! I've just looked at the twitter petition and it's gone from just over 14,000 to over 44,500 signatures since I signed it yesterday!

linky

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Italiangreyhound · 28/07/2013 21:48

Hooray uk.news.yahoo.com/twitter-must-rape-threats-seriously-140956007.html#10sdrRE feels a bit hollow to say hooray but at least a result and maybe sends a message. So sad though that the poor woman had to endure that crap.

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KaseyM · 28/07/2013 22:43

Just saw on twitter that the media turned up at her house! How insanely ignorant is that?!

"A bit of perspective please, a few nutters on the internet are not representative of 50% of the population."

Yes it's just a handful of men but it's ALL women who remain afraid - afraid of speaking out, afraid of doing anything remotely feminist - because we don't know which ones are the "nutters", which ones are decent men or which ones don't really care.

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OneLittleToddleTerror · 29/07/2013 10:18

This is a serious issue and we should not ignore it. Have we forgotten about the cases where teenage girls committed suicide because of cyber bullying. Obviously Criado-Perez is not going to kill herself over rape threats because she is a strong adult. But not everyone is as strong as her to stand up to the bullies. I haven't been reading the tweets, but I understood they even tweet her phone number and home address. It must be quite terrifying.

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VillaVillekulla · 29/07/2013 10:40

FWIW I think Criado-Perez is really brave and I really admire her for tackling the misogynists head on. I like to think I'd do the same but I suspect I would be so terrified by the tweets she received that I'd just abandon Twitter.

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betterthanever · 29/07/2013 10:44

FWIW I think Criado-Perez is really brave and I really admire her for tackling the misogynists head on yes she is and she comes across very well too - I wish I had her strength and was as articulate as she is, she is an inspiration and I will try and draw strength from her. I thank her for standing up for me and every single female.

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ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 29/07/2013 10:48

It is scary isn't it. A few nutters yes, but just bizarre and incomprehensible that such vitriol can come out because a woman did a campaign to get women recognized on bank notes. What makes the 'a few nutters' response inadequate for me is that these 'nutters' have got so upset about something so innocuous. How can it be upsetting to see 50% of the population recognized on a symbol of our country?
If that upsets them then heaven only knows how they would react to a few of the conversations on here.....actually i would pay good money to see them react to a few conversations on here, from a suitable distance and purely for entertainment value.......

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slug · 29/07/2013 11:10

Actually the banknote issue really appalled me. It was just adding insult to injury by removing the osole woman and replacing her with a man who was vehemently opposed to the vote for women.

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