Insults Against Women in Telegram (Empirical Study based on the Theory of Neutralization Techniques)

Among the common crimes and deviations in virtual social networks, the crime of verbal abuse (insult) against women is the most prevalent and common. Some characteristics of social networks, such as the remoteness of communication, being virtual and intangible, the possibility of anonymity, are effective in explaining the high number of these crimes. These features give criminals the opportunity to excuse their actions with ease and lessen the twinge in their conscience. However, the main source of women's victimization should be found in the human interactions of cyber space and not its structure. Criminals sometimes justify their behavior by denying responsibility or denying injury and sometimes with the thought that the victim deserves the crime. This article tries to reveal the cause and manner of verbal abuse against women in Telegram social network. For this purpose, the analysis has been built upon the methods of a criminological theory known as the theory of "neutralization techniques". The data was collected through observation and indirect interview and the method used to analyze this data is descriptive-analytical. The findings of this research indicate that in the case of the slightest unusual behavior of a female user, she faces more and more severe reactions than in the same case for a man. Regarding their abusive behavior, they consider the virtual and intangible nature of the injuries or the guilt of the victim to be enough to neutralize their conscience.