NOW Survey: Online Abuse of Women Escalating

More than One in Four American Women Have Experienced Online Abuse

WASHINGTON — A new survey of 10,000 American women released today by the National Organization for Women (NOW) and Incogni, a data privacy company, shows that the problem of online abuse is escalating. More than one in four women (27%) have experienced online abuse, with 55% of respondents identifying as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community reporting online abuse.

The research shows that online abuse mirrors and may amplify existing social inequalities affecting women—especially younger generations, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, women of color, and professionals in high-visibility or male-dominated fields. Respondents from these groups reported markedly elevated rates of online harassment, higher levels of fear, and lower trust in systems meant to protect them.

This year’s survey is part of an ongoing effort to track how online harassment evolves over time. What emerges is not only an increase in reported abuse but a clearer picture of how exposure, identity, profession, and institutional trust intersect. The findings point to a digital environment where participation and safety are unevenly distributed, and where visibility can carry a cost.

Key Findings

Vulnerable populations, specifically LGBTQIA+ women, women of color, and younger generations, bear a significantly heavier burden of online abuse.

More than half (55%) of LGBTQIA+ women reported experiencing abuse, which is more than double the rate of the overall sample.
Additionally, nearly 1 in 3 women of color (32%) experienced online abuse, compared to 24% of white women.
Younger generations are also heavily affected, with almost half of Gen Z respondents (46.8%) and over a third of Millennials (36.2%) reporting abuse.

Women in public-facing or highly visible occupations experience higher rates of harassment. (about 41% compared to 31% in less visible roles). This compounded risk can impose invisible barriers that limit women’s professional participation and autonomy.

The impact is especially severe in certain sectors. 55% of women working in journalism and media reported experiencing abuse, the highest rate among professions surveyed.
Women working in technology reported the second-highest rate of online abuse at nearly 40%.

Social media networks (particularly Facebook) and messaging apps are the primary venues for abuse. Cyberbullying remains the most common form of abuse, followed by trolling and sexual harassment.

When AI-enabled harassment is currently rare (around 1%), it is highly impactful, with AI-targeted harassment and swatting severely affecting over 80% of LGBTQIA+ victims when it does occur.
The majority of harassment occurs on Facebook (reported by nearly 60% of victims) and messaging apps (33%).

Online abuse is primarily carried out by strangers; however, a substantial amount also comes from individuals the victims know personally.

Online abuse most frequently comes from strangers (60.5%), though over 40% of victims report being targeted by someone they knew personally.
Victims most often presume they are being targeted based on their appearance (44%) or their gender (34%).

Only 14% of women believe that current laws sufficiently protect victims of online abuse.

Almost half of those who experienced abuse feared for their physical safety.
Among the 11% of victims who took no action after experiencing abuse, 46% stated it was because they believed taking action simply wouldn’t help.

Methodology

A nationally representative sample of 10,000 adult female residents of the United States was surveyed using the Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) method. Quotas for age, ethnicity, and place of residence were established based on US demographic data to ensure a representative sample. Data collection took place between January 8, 2026, and January 16, 2026.

Link to the PDF of the full survey: