From physical violence to online violation: Forms, structures and effects: A comparison of the cases of ‘domestic violence’ and ‘revenge pornography’

In this paper, we examine the nature and limits of violence by way of a comparison of the physical violence and online violation, in terms of their form, structure and effects. We explore similarities and dissimilarities in what precedes the event, perpetrator intentions and motivations, the forms and types of violence, the medium through which they are delivered, who they are directed towards, the technologies and processes deployed, and their impacts. We argue that it is problematic to restrict the concept of ‘violence’ to intended physical acts that cause harm, because non-physical, psychological, emotional and other forms of non-(directly)physical violence may be equally or even more impactful. Our discussion draws, illustratively, on research, including our own, on both ‘domestic violence’ and ‘revenge pornography’, with the latter an example of the growing numbers of relatively new forms of representational and psychological forms of violence. These are important political, policy and practical concerns, not only with the spread of violence, abuse and violation with and through digital technologies, but also as examples of differing ways in which these can be, and are, constructed, within academic, policy and popular media debates.