Debate contribution: Tackling Online Violence Against Women and Girls
Debate contribution by Ms Diana Armstrong on .
- MLA
- Ms Diana Armstrong
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 14 January 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Opposition Business
- Heading
- Tackling Online Violence Against Women and Girls
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4736401
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Opposition for bringing the motion to the House. As others outlined, deepfake imagery is an image-based form of sexual abuse that has a horrific impact, as it is a deeply violating form of abuse that is predominantly targeted at women and girls. Cases of online violence and non-consensual deepfake imagery have escalated in an online environment where social media platforms' mechanisms to remove content offer limited redress to victims only after the harm has occurred. That results in profound mental and psychological distress for victims and impacts on their safety and well-being. It is welcome that the British Government have responded to that form of abuse by indicating that, in addition to the Online Safety Act 2023, they will introduce the crime and policing Bill later this year, which will create a new offence of an individual taking intimate images without consent. Very often, victims have not consented to images and are not aware that they are being circulated. Threats to share the images with family and friends often lead to the further exploitation of victims and a sense of violation. The aim of the Bill will be to criminalise such behaviour so that the perpetrators can be caught and brought to justice. I support the call in the amendment to the motion for the First Minister and deputy First Minister to work with the UK Government, on behalf of the Executive, to ensure that the new legislation protects victims of online abuse through the inclusion of appropriate sentencing for perpetrators and that it ensures that there is zero tolerance of deepfake generation in all its forms. Intimate image abuse is a national emergency that causes significant and long-lasting harm to women and girls, who face a total loss of control of their digital footprint at the hands of online misogyny. Women should not have to accept sexual harassment and abuse as a normal part of their online life. In tandem with the introduction of legislation, the misogynistic attitudes of young men and boys need to be addressed. Surveys show that there is a prevalence of traditionalist views among young males, predominantly among those who are in their 20s. Those views may be perpetuated due to peer pressure and environments in which they believe that it is manly to exercise power and control over others and that real men should not have to care about women's opinions or feelings. The influence of online pornography on young men and boys is also a determinant in the development of their attitudes towards women. I support the motion. More work needs to be done to address young men's attitudes towards women.
441 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not qualifying”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.07 (qualifying needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not qualifying).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.92).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.64).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-qualifying threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.13 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.15 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.10 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.05 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.92 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.07 | At or below not-qualifying threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.64 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.30 |
| Adopts it | 0.06 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.85 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.15 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:47 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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