Harassment, organization and identity: analysis of an online forum

Abstract

Interactions in internet discussion forums provide data on a variety of social issues.  Forums are often a meeting-place for people affected by a given problem; in fact, cyberspace has become a framework of reference in the study of such interaction. The ready availability of the participants’ discourse, and the textual nature of the forum's contents, facilitate the use of qualitative methodologies. The present article analyses harassment in internet forums in order to study its subjective implications, specially those aspects related to the formulation of participants' identities. The article also explores the organizational implications of harassment, focusing on its structural and functional dimensions.