The 8 Types Of Abuse Through WhatsApp (and Their Warning Signs)
Social networks are essential tools in our modern world, especially instant messaging. Applications like WhatsApp and Telegram, the most used, have made mobile phones stop being used for what they were designed for: making calls.
It is much easier, faster and more convenient to send a message than not to call, which is why people prefer to resort to the first form of communication. In addition, with WhatsApp you can send audios, images, emoticons, videos and all types of multimedia resources.
All progress brings with it certain risks and misuses, with cyberbullying being the result of misuse of new technologies. There are several types of abuse through WhatsApp and similar applications that can be observed in conversations through these apps, and then we are going to explore them.
Abuse through WhatsApp is one of the ways in which cyberbullying and other forms of psychological violence manifest themselves These terms refer to the series of behaviors aimed at controlling, denigrating, manipulating and harming a person, especially a partner, through the use of new technologies. In this case, we are going to focus on one of the main instant messaging applications most used around the world, but it is also applicable to Telegram and any instant messaging application,
Despite how much progress has been made in raising awareness about psychological abuse, the truth is that today not everyone conceives of this type of virtual dynamics as a real form of abuse or harassment. Many people, and worryingly many teenagers, assume that if their partners control their cell phone use or want to know who they are talking to, it is a way of showing affection.
The new forms of abuse and mistreatment that have emerged with the expansion of new technologies are not uncommon. In fact, there are already studies that indicate that the number of individuals who have suffered from them is very high. An example of this is a study carried out by the Autonomous University of Madrid (2015) that indicated that 50% of the population group between 18 and 30 years old has suffered some type of cyberbullying including abuse through WhatsApp.
The main forms of this type of abuse are the following.
1. Urgency to receive a response
Phrases like “why don’t you answer me?” or what are you doing?” are common in couples’ WhatsApp chats, this being one of the most recurrent experiences in people who have just started an emotional relationship of any kind And not only with your partner, it can also happen with friends or family who require us to respond instantly to their messages. If they are repeated systematically, they can be considered a form of harassment.
2. Reproach for being online and not talking to him
There are people who don’t take very well to seeing their partner who is connected and online but who is not talking to them. This situation can cause very toxic feelings to emerge for the relationship, such as distrust, anger or jealousy The fact that the other person has not opened the door to at least greet them causes them a lot of frustration and they do not hesitate to demand that they tell them who they were talking to.
This can get worse, demanding that you send him screenshots of who he was talking to or the audios he has shared, to make sure that there is no other person in his life or cheating on him.
3. Block after an argument
Another type of abuse through WhatsApp is applying what is known as the “law of ice”, something common after an argument or anger One of the two decides to cut off contact with the other, not talk, distance themselves and even block them from their contact list for a few hours or days. This behavior shows great immaturity and greatly upsets the blocked person, who feels that they do not have the slightest option to explain themselves or receive explanations. The relationship is simply cut off unilaterally.
We should not confuse this with the healthy technique of zero contact after a breakup. This technique is used to, after breaking up with someone, avoid suffering when seeing that person on social networks, in addition to also avoiding falling into the temptation of talking to him again and opening the wounds that were healing. In the case of blocking, this is a form of abuse when the relationship is still active and is carried out as a kind of punishment for the other party.
4. Cybergaslighting
Another form of abuse is resorting to the famous “gaslighting.” In this particular case, It consists of sending disconcerting and suspicious messages to the partner, friend or victim in question to confuse them and make them doubt their own memory It can also consist of sending messages making it clear that you are proud of some trait or milestone that the other person has achieved and then telling them that they are in the wrong chat and that the message was not for them.
5. Force sexting
Sexting is a very common practice that consists of exchanging racy photographs and videos. This exchange of intimate material is legal if both parties agree and there is a commitment that they will not be passed on to third parties.
However, and especially among young people, It may happen that one of the members of the couple requires the other to do it, even when they do not want to, either because they do not feel like it or because they do not feel comfortable
Sexting has become one of the most common forms of abuse on WhatsApp and is evident in phrases like “if you loved me you would do it” or “surely you did it with your ex, but you don’t want to do it with me because you don’t love me…” The person who demands it, if this wish is denied, can ridicule, criticize and even threaten the other party.
6. Location control
Many couples agree to share their locations with each other, by mutual agreement and without suspicion If there is reciprocity on the part of both or it is used with the intention of making sure that the other person is okay or that if something happens to them, they know where to go look for them, it is lawful and respectable. However, there are many cases in which sending the location is used as a control and harassment strategy, ensuring that the other person is not at an ex’s house or with a friend with whom they are having infidelity.
Wanting to know where your partner is at all times and peppering them with questions about why they are there is another clear form of psychological abuse carried out through this instant messaging application.
7. Message bombardment
As the years go by, there is increasing evidence that Social networks and mobile applications can negatively affect our mood if used irresponsibly Messaging services help us transmit our mood directly and in real time to other people, whether in writing, with emoticons, with audio or directly with video conferencing.
A very common form of abuse through WhatsApp is that they send us a lot of messages in a short time, such as 30 in less than an hour. The content of these messages can be very varied, ranging from messages of affection such as that they miss us or how much they love us to toxic and desperate comments such as, for example, that we are not talking to him or that we should be more attentive to him or she.
Since there are so many messages said in such a short time, it is difficult for the other person to have time to answer them all, which makes the sender begin to get desperate and angry. The longer it takes to respond to everything, the more catastrophic scenarios are created by whoever sent the messages. This is when the strategy of sending messages and, after a little while, deleting them so that the other party sees them and is more aware of the mobile phone for fear of missing something (FOMO) begins
Later, the sender of these messages can go from effusiveness to criticism or aggressiveness in a very short time, with phrases like “I’m not a priority for you,” “I see that you have more important things to do than deign to answer me”, “if you care so much about me, why don’t you read everything I send you?”…
You may be interested: “FOMO syndrome: feeling that other people’s lives are more interesting”
8. Ask for mobile passwords
Couples and friends who trust and maintain good communication with each other do not need to know who the other person is talking to or not talking to Therefore, when a person asks another person for the password or unlock pattern of their mobile phone, it can be interpreted as a sign of distrust, jealousy and fear. Not respecting a person’s privacy is abuse.
Demanding the password is not a form of abuse through WhatsApp in itself, but it can implicate this application. The person interested in obtaining this password may want to gossip on their victim’s WhatsApp, in addition to other applications such as Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or the image gallery to see if there is a photo of an ex or racy photo of someone else. to the relationship.
Conclusions and final reflection
New technologies represent great advances for humanity but, as it has always been, progress implies certain risks that must be identified and solved. WhatsApp is a very useful instant messaging application, almost essential in our daily lives and that has overthrown the main utility of mobile phones, which is nothing more than calling other people. Instant messaging is a more direct, faster and impersonal form of communication.
However, with all the good, there are several types of abuse through WhatsApp, relatively common cyberbullying behaviors among youth, especially adolescents, who make less responsible use of new technologies. Ironically, these are the same digital native teenagers whose skills with information and communication technologies are far superior to those of predecessor generations, including young adults in their twenties.
Education and awareness is key to preventing a generation that has a more skillful use of new technologies than the next from using it so irresponsibly that not even the most adults can avoid its harmful consequences for relationships and mental health.
