Speaker
Description
This study explores how anti-gender movements utilise digital hostility as a structured form of ideological bullying to marginalise LGBTQI+ individuals and reinforce exclusionary social hierarchies. Despite increased awareness of bias-based cyberbullying, there remains a limited understanding of how such hostility operates within ideological frameworks, particularly as organised campaigns to delegitimise gender inclusivity efforts. Drawing on Social Identity Theory, Social Dominance Theory, and Moral Panic Theory, this study conceptualises digital hostility within anti-gender movements as a systemic, bias-driven form of cyber aggression. By framing “gender ideology” as a societal threat, anti-gender actors strategically deploy digital hostility to create fear and legitimise social exclusion, portraying their actions as a defence of traditional norms.
Through this re-conceptualisation, anti-gender digital hostility emerges as an organised mechanism of social control, calling for targeted anti-bullying policies that address its ideological nature. This shift in perspective offers both theoretical insight and practical implications for the anti-bullying field, highlighting that effective interventions against bias-based bullying must also consider the structural support behind these hostile online behaviours to address ideologically motivated aggression. Further, this study underscores the need for continued research into how ideological aggression functions within digital spaces and highlight the importance of legal protections and educational interventions that safeguard marginalised individuals from organised, systemic digital hostility.
Keywords
Ideological Bullying, Anti-Gender Movements, Digital Hostility, Cyberbullying, Bias-Based Bullying
| Please also indicate what kind of contribution it is: | Scientific |
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| Please indicate what type of scientific contribution it is | Theoretical contribution |
