Gender-based digital violence in Serbia: a review of trends

Digital violence against girls and women in Serbia is steadily on the rise, as increasingly disturbing headlines in the media attest. Among the most frequent targets of abusers are female journalists, social activists, politicians, and other prominent women in the public sphere. Additionally, well-known women often experience more extreme forms of this violence.

Weak legal protection mechanisms, coupled with a lack of systematic education and awareness about this type of violence and its consequences, remain key obstacles in the fight for a fairer digital space.

Drawing on existing analyses and initiatives, primarily from civil society organizations, the SHARE Foundation has prepared a concise overview of key facts concerning the phenomenon of gender-based digital violence. In the introductory glossary, various forms of online violence are described and defined, followed by examples from the experiences of girls and women in Serbia – from so-called revenge porn, which particularly shocked the public due to the age of some perpetrators or its widespread presence on social media, to incidents that represent direct threats to fundamental societal values such as equality and freedom of speech.

In the section on responses and challenges in the fight to combat this type of violence, existing legal protection mechanisms are described, along with how they can be utilized. Additionally, current initiatives for amending laws are presented, particularly concerning the criminalization of the misuse of sexually explicit material, including those created with the help of artificial intelligence.

Finally, concrete steps and their targeted outcomes are outlined in the recommendations section, intended for legislative bodies, the police, judicial authorities, schools, and psychosocial services, as well as for civil society organizations and the wider public—from everyday internet users to influencers who often have a significant impact on them.

The full document “Gender-Based Digital Violence in Serbia: A Review of Trends” is freely available for download.