Invisible and relentless: psychological violence against women in the digital environment

Abstract

This article examines psychological violence against women in the digital environment, amplified by anonymity and immediacy. It analyzes impacts, typologies, and response mechanisms in light of Brazilian legislation. We adopt a qualitative, bibliographic, and descriptive approach, reviewing instruments such as the Maria da Penha Law, the Civil Rights Framework for the Internet, and the Carolina Dieckmann Law, alongside scholarship on harassment, stalking, humiliation, defamation, manipulation, and non-consensual exposure. Findings indicate that, despite normative advances and protective measures (restraining orders, legal and psychological assistance), limitations persist: difficulties identifying anonymous perpetrators, the speed of content circulation, low digital literacy, and insufficient mechanisms for swift takedown and accountability. Gaps are particularly evident in practices such as “revenge porn” and “sextortion,” where emotional, social, and economic harms accumulate and endure. Severe impacts on mental health — anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress — intersect with disruptions to social life and professional trajectories, including withdrawal, isolation, and material loss. Effective responses require fine-grained legislative adjustments, inter-institutional protocols, technical cooperation and transparency from platforms, continuous training for legal practitioners, and sustained public awareness. We also recommend expanding psychosocial support networks and investing in empirical research to inform evidence-based public policies, ensuring effective protection and respect for women’s rights in the virtual sphere. As a contribution, the study systematizes categories of technology-mediated psychological violence and proposes guidelines for coordinated action among prosecutors’ offices, public defenders, specialized police units, and application providers, alongside standardized protocols for preserving digital evidence and accessible, responsive reporting channels.