Cyber socializing and victimization of women

Sheds light on the dark side of Social Networking Websites (SNWs), a central segment of Web 2.0, in being havens for offenders to victimize women on the Internet. Examines the victimization of women in SNWs from a victomological angle in order to identify reasons for the increase in such cases: the nature of camouflaged profiles, lackadaisical response of the SNWs themselves, and the lack of uniform laws and conventions. Online socialization has become popular among “gizmo freaks,” defined as “self supporting, educated, independent, modern women of the 21st century.” Discusses the trend of cyber socializing, the growth of hi-tech crimes targeting women members of SNWs, and the need for conceptualizing such offenses. Sets out typology and pattern of victimizing women users in SNWs: cyber verbal abuse expressing hatred, cyber defamation targeting an individual, cyber stalking, morphing, cloning, cyber obscenity, hacking, cyber harassment, virtual rape, banning a female member from expressing her views, cyber bullying and name calling, domestic violence and cyber flame, impersonation and cheating, and blackmailing and threatening. Discusses emotional and physical risk factors of women users of SNWs due to cyber socializing offenses through case studies.