ReSPect: Enabling Active and Scalable Responses to Networked Online Harassment

Abstract

Online harassment, especially networked harassment at scale, has become an increasingly serious issue that pervades many social media platforms. In this study, we investigated the nature and harms of networked harassment on Twitter through design workshops (n = 11) and developed a set of design goals focusing on empowering the individual to fight back against harassment. We designed Re:SPect, an anti-harassment tool promoting scalable and active responses to networked harassment. We evaluated Re:SPect through a simulated scenario-based study with Twitter users (n = 18) who had directly or indirectly experienced networked harassment. Our findings reveal that users felt safer and more empowered as Re:SPect enabled them to manage interactions with a larger audience. Users felt less anxious about the potential of being harassed, while the summarization features of Re:SPect allowed users to perceive the situation more objectively. Based on the findings, we discuss how Re:SPect's features could be utilized in promoting healthier online discussion, as well as theoretical implications in designing such systems.