Research Publications

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Open Access
Prevalence, nature and impacts of non-sexual online harassment in Sri Lanka: A quantitative analysis
(Elsevier Ltd, 2025-10-20) Harasgama, K. S.; Karunasena, K; Senarath, S; Jayamaha, S; Mahingoda, C.B; Deshapriya, W
The objective of this study is to examine the prevalence, nature and impacts of nonsexual online harassment among the youth population in Sri Lanka. Data was collected through a countrywide survey from a cross-sectional sample of 4805 young people. Data was analysed using SPSS software package. Results of this study indicate that 11.7 % of the youth population surveyed had experienced non-sexual forms of harassment in the cyberspace. The analysis also revealed the most common types of harassment experienced, the platform where harassment was committed the most, the most common types of victims and perpetrators, and the impacts of non-sexual online harassment on victims. The findings of this study suggest that Sri Lanka needs to devise targeted policies for combatting non-sexual online harassment, and that it may need to tailor its responses to the needs of each sector.
Open Access
Combatting Non-Consensual Pornography: A Comparative Study
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Jayamaha, S; Harasgama, K; Mahingoda, C
consensual pornography, colloquially known as “revenge porn,” has witnessed a troubling proliferation across various jurisdictions, carrying profound and often devastating repercussions for its victims. This paper conducts an in-depth review of the revenge porn laws with reference to identified key elements in such laws, namely, actus reus and the mens rea of the offence, rules relating to platform liability, victim protection and available remedies and penalties. As such the study is conducted in respect of laws in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, India, Australia and Sri Lanka and finds that there is commonness as well as some diversity in the approaches. While the actus reus element underlying these legal frameworks exhibits some degree of uniformity, significant disparities emerge with regard to the mens rea requirement. Notably, jurisdictions such as the UK and US exhibit more limited scopes, a limitation compounded in the US by the provision of special immunities to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and website/platform hosts. The paper also highlights the importance of adopting a comprehensive two-pronged strategy, encompassing both civil reliefs and penal laws to effectively fight NCP. As such, the paper attempts to provide an overall account of what would be the most effective legal approach in relation to the key components identified therein in the background of some common challenges posed by the inherent nature of NCP in this digital age.
Open Access
Online Harassment in Sri Lanka: A Thematic Analysis
(MDPI, 2023-03-15) Harasgama, K.S; Jayamaha, S
: Online harassment has become a growing menace worldwide for which every nation is trying to find a solution. Existing literature demonstrates that online harassment is widespread in diverse forms and so is its impact on the victims. Despite the lack of any comprehensive studies in this area, there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate the prevalence of online harassment in Sri Lanka and the need to find effective solutions to it. In such circumstances, this study aims to understand the nature of online harassment in the Sri Lankan context using qualitative research methodology. To that end, the study uses thematic analysis for analysing the data collected through semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis was employed for the study as it assists in classifying complex qualitative data into different and simplified themes for better understanding and interpretation of such data. Among other findings, the analysis revealed three global themes, namely the motives of the perpetrators, the impact on victims, and remedies. Under each global theme, the study revealed various organising and basic themes, also indicating that the motives of the perpetrators and the impact on the victims are closely connected. It further reveals that impacts could be extremely serious, ranging from helplessness to suicidal thoughts, humiliation to broken relationships, and even having adverse impacts on the careers of victims. The study also found that the available remedies are not systematic or strong enough to meet the expectations of the victims. Thus, we conclude that the threat from online harassment in Sri Lanka is similar to that in any other country, requiring immediate and well-planned legal and policy responses, as exposed by the key themes identified in the study.

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