ZORIĆ: GIRLS AND WOMEN MORE FREQUENTLY EXPOSED TO DIGITAL VIOLENCE

BANJA LUKA, AUGUST 10 /SRNA/ - Digital violence leaves real emotional consequences and requires a serious response from the family, school, and society, warned psychologist and systemic family psychotherapist Maja Savanović Zorić.

According to her, the digital space often gives the perpetrator a sense of anonymity and power, while the victim feels they cannot escape the violence because it can be present 24 hours a day. Although digital violence happens behind a screen, Zorić told SRNA that in children and young people, it can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, sleep problems, a drop in concentration and school performance, and a loss of self-confidence and sense of security. Zorić, who has worked for over 15 years as a high school psychologist, as well as a psychotherapist, noted that she is increasingly encountering young people and adults bearing the consequences of violence in the digital space. She stated that among adolescents, frequent forms of peer digital violence include insulting in groups, mocking, spreading rumors, creating fake profiles, sharing photos without permission, and exclusion from online communities. "In my work with adults, I especially encounter cases of harassment through social networks, threats, control, and sexual digital violence," said Zorić. Zorić pointed out that digital violence can affect anyone, regardless of gender and age, but research shows that girls and women are more frequently exposed to certain forms of violence, particularly sexual harassment, blackmail, sharing intimate content without consent, and gender-based violence on the internet. She stated that in BiH, there has been increasing discussion about this problem in recent years, given that children and young people spend a significant part of their lives online. "Many of them have experience with violence on the internet, either as victims or witnesses. The fact that young people often do not immediately recognize digital violence, but perceive it as a joke or a part of growing up, is particularly concerning," Zorić said. Zorić stated that feelings of shame, guilt, and a loss of control over their own lives are particularly present in victims of sexual digital violence. "The responsibility is never on the person whose content has been misused, but on the one who uses it for harm and blackmail. In therapeutic work, I often see people trying to diminish their suffering by saying it is 'just the internet.' However, for the person who is the target of violence, it is not just the internet, but a violation of their sense of security, trust, and personal dignity," said Zorić. She noted that digital violence is recognized through threats, insults, blackmail, impersonation, spreading falsehoods, publishing photos and videos without consent, stalking, and sexual harassment. "Parents should pay attention to changes in their children's behavior, withdrawal, fear of using the phone, sudden mood swings, sleep problems, or avoiding school," Zorić said. Zorić emphasized that prevention starts with conversation and that a parent should be a safe person the child will turn to first, rather than someone they will fear because of punishment or judgment. "We cannot protect children only by banning and restricting technology. We must teach them how to use it, how to recognize violence, and how to seek help when it happens," said Zorić.