“Immense distrust.” Can the state deal with online harassment against women?
By Elena Dimitrova
Online violence is no longer something new, but it remains poorly recognized in Bulgaria. It is even less prosecuted by the law and is often incomprehensible to the victims’ relatives. For many girls and women, digital bullying is more than “unpleasant messages” – it is a way to be controlled and live in fear.
In 2023, nearly 46,000 reports of online violence against children were submitted to the Safer Internet Center in Bulgaria. They mainly involve girls between the ages of 10 and 14.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) for 2024, one in six children in our country is a victim of online bullying. Bulgaria also came in first place in terms of the number of reports submitted in the international INHOPE network for the past year.
For institutions, the topic is still partially invisible, especially if the case does not involve direct threats or the distribution of intimate materials. Therefore, the first line of support is often non-governmental organizations, which not only respond, but also help with the long-term recovery of victims.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that occurs online – on social networks and online platforms. It can be expressed in the distribution of photos, sending offensive messages or threats, and more.
However, online bullying is often not isolated, but occurs in parallel with face-to-face bullying.
“For example, a woman who is already a victim of physical or psychological violence by a partner may be blackmailed into sharing her intimate photos. This is not just a threat, but a mechanism for maintaining fear and submission,” the Animus Association Foundation, which maintains a hotline for victims of violence, told sCOOL Media.
The consequences can be severe – anxiety, depression, social isolation, self-harm. Sometimes the biggest challenge for victims is not to stop the bullying, but to regain control of their lives – to return to school, work or simply not to be afraid to use their phone.
In the digital environment, some platforms pose a particularly high risk to children and adolescents, especially girls. Telegram, for example, has established itself as one of the most problematic online spaces, where hundreds of thousands of cases of distribution of content with sexual exploitation of children have been identified in recent years.
But the risk is not limited to this platform alone. Fake profiles created by adults with criminal intentions are found on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Messenger and Discord, where perpetrators pose as peers of their victims in order to gain their trust.
A worrying recent trend is the increasingly younger age of girls who create profiles on platforms such as OnlyFans – an online network for paid, often intimate content. This exposes them to a serious risk of sexual exploitation.
What to do about online harassment reports?
The National Network for Children (NNC), which unites organizations for the protection of children’s rights, is actively engaged in combating online harassment of girls.
They told sCOOL Media that reports of violence are distributed to the safenet.bg hotline and advisory line. This is a service managed by experts and volunteers who provide support to child victims. They process the reports and, if necessary, send them to the Cybercrime Directorate of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) at the Ministry of Interior (MVI).
Upon receiving a report, Animus specialists work in parallel on three lines – psychological support, legal consultation and reporting to institutions such as GDBOP, the Social Assistance Directorates and the police. Although the content often cannot be removed immediately, in some cases the reactions are quick and effective.
“We have real cases where the perpetrator has been identified and sanctioned. But the greatest success is not in the courtroom, but when the woman begins to communicate freely and not be afraid again,” Animus adds.
The gap in the system
According to these two NGOs, the main obstacles to addressing online violence are:
- the slow reaction of institutions;
- the lack of a clear regulation for removing content that constitutes harassment;
- insufficient coordination between the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the prosecutor’s office and social services;
- the shame and fear of victims, who often do not seek help out of concern about how they will be received.
“The most difficult thing is that technologies are developing much faster than legislation, the state and institutions can react. New applications, new forms of violence and fraud appear literally every month,” Georgi Elenkov, Director of Children’s Policies at the National Center for Children, tells sCOOL Media. He adds:
“There is a huge distrust among children that institutions will listen to them, understand them and protect them effectively. Often the family or school is not prepared to face the problem and sometimes even blames the child himself. This makes the work of prevention and support even more complicated.”
sCOOL Media sent questions on the topic to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior and the Cybercrime Directorate at the General Directorate of the Prevention and Combating of Crime. By the time the editorial work on the text was completed, we had not received any answers.
The solution
Without a change at the institutional level and the development of a long-term strategy, the problem of online bullying against young girls cannot be solved permanently.
Until then, NMD specialists appeal for the need for support in the family. They remind children that victims of online bullying are not to blame.
“The responsibility always lies with the one who carries out the bullying. Don’t let the problem remain only with you – tell a parent, teacher, friend and immediately report it to safenet.bg,” the organization advises.
As next steps, Georgi Elenkov outlines:
“Keep evidence, such as screenshots of photos and chats, which will help institutions counteract violence. And know that there is someone to help – even if you feel scared or desperate, support is just a chat away. Prevention is not a one-time initiative, it requires constant dialogue – it is important for girls to know that there is always someone to support them.”
Online violence against women and girls is not a “virtual problem”. It is real violence with real consequences. There is still no clear, working protection system in Bulgaria.
But NGOs like Animus and NMD are filling the gaps that the state leaves every day. And while cases of online harassment continue to increase, they are the voice and support of those who still hesitate whether anyone will hear them.
Funded by the OPEN SPACE Foundation (OSF) project “Youth against disinformation”, implemented in partnership with the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria), with the support of the British Council in Bulgaria. However, the views and opinions expressed are entirely those of their author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of OSF, AEJ and the British Council in Bulgaria. Neither OSF, AEJ nor the British Council in Bulgaria are responsible for them.
