Ihor Trydub: “Listen to yourself and don’t face the problem alone: there is always support nearby”

Photo: NGO “Clear Paper”/from Igor Trydub’s personal archive

Ihor Trydub is the director and co-founder of the Clear Paper CSO — an organization whose main goal is to counteract, prevent, and support people who have suffered from trafficking in persons, as well as related forms of violence. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the team at the NGO Clean Slate has focused on the issue of gender-based violence and, over time, on conflict-related sexual violence, and sees how these forms of abuse occur in the digital space. 

Why has this problem intensified, what are its consequences, how to recognize signs of digital violence, and where to seek help — find out in an interview with Ihor Trydub as part of the “16 Days of Activism Against Violence” campaign.

Could you please tell us what Clear Paper does and what you are currently working on?

We work on trafficking in persons and gender-based violence response, including conflict-related sexual violence. We have two offices — in Kharkiv and Kropyvnytskyi, but essentially, we assist people all over Ukraine.

Our main areas of focus are prevention, training, and support for survivors. We conduct trainings and meetings for vulnerable groups, particularly internally displaced women and girls, and we also train representatives of governmental agencies and civil society on how to respond effectively to cases of violence.

We assist women, men, and children, providing them with comprehensive support — psychological, legal, social, and financial. We also support the economic empowerment of survivors by organizing training and reskilling programs, so that people can rebuild their lives and provide for themselves.

How do you define the notion of “digital violence” — what does it mean to you in a professional context?

Ukrainian legislation does not have a separate definition of “cyber-” or “digital violence” yet. Formally, it identifies four types of violence: physical, psychological, economic, and sexual. If violent actions take place online – on social networks or in messengers – they are conditionally classified as cyberviolence.
We understand this as any technology-facilitated actions intended to harm a person: threats, blackmail, hacking accounts, sharing personal data, controlling access to someone’s pages. Often, it combines elements of psychological, economic, or even sexual violence. It most commonly occurs on social media and in messengers — Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook.

Lately, we have been observing a new dangerous trend — the use of artificial intelligence to create fake photos or videos with real people’s faces. This is a new tendency of digital violence that is rapidly growing.

What forms of online violence against women and girls do you most often encounter in your work?

Since we work all over Ukraine, we most often see two main forms of online violence targeting women and girls.

The first one is the continuation of domestic violence in the digital space. When a woman tries to leave an abusive relationship, moves to a different place, or seeks refuge in a shelter, the perpetrator may continue exerting pressure through texts, social media, or messaging apps — by sending threats, blackmail, or attempts to re-establish control. Even after the woman blocks the abuser’s accounts, the harassment often continues.

The second form is the use of the Internet for recruitment for trafficking in persons. Women and girls are lured through social media or messengers and then, during or after exploitation, they receive threats to keep them silent or prevent them from escaping. This kind of cyberviolence becomes an extension of control and manipulation, even when the survivor is already physically safe.

Why, in your opinion, has the problem of online violence exacerbated in recent years?

It’s actually difficult to say how much the problem of digital violence has exacerbated, since we have no official statistics. We rely mainly on reported cases and inquiries — for example, hotlines, such as La Strada, received around 24,000 inquiries in the first half of 2025, most of them from women. However, an increase in inquiries and reports doesn’t necessarily mean that the number of cases has grown. It may also indicate that people have become more aware of where to seek help and support. As well as that online violence is also a violence, and they are now more actively seeking help.

Several factors have contributed to the situation. First, during the pandemic and the digitalization of society, communication, work, and education shifted to the digital space, creating new opportunities for abuse. Second, since the start of the full-scale war, much of our daily life has moved online, and so has violence. Third, it has become technically more difficult to identify perpetrators because of fake accounts, VPNs, and online anonymity.

Another challenge is the use of the latest technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, to create fake photos and videos featuring real people’s faces. This is a new, yet already noticeable tool of pressure and blackmail.

So today we can see not only an increase in the number of reports, but also the emergence of new forms of digital violence — ones that society is only beginning to learn how to respond to.

What are the consequences of digital violence for women? 

The consequences of digital violence for women and girls are essentially the same as those of any other form of violence. They can be broadly divided into several levels — psychological, social, and physical.
First are psychological consequences. These include constant anxiety, fear, and a sense of danger. In real life, you can just close the door, but you cannot hide from the online space. A person experiences constant tension, never knowing when or from where the next attack might come.

The second group is social consequences. After private or AI-generated photos are shared, women can often face judgment, loss of support from family and friends, and social isolation. This is deeply painful, because instead of help, they receive stigmatization.

And, of course, there are physical consequences. Chronic stress can lead to psychosomatic symptoms — sleep disorders, appetite problems, or worsening of existing health conditions. Depression may develop, and suicidal thoughts, intentions, or even actions may arise.

We noticed that to cope in some way, people start using alcohol or sedatives. This is a way to escape constant distress, but it only exacerbates the problem.

Photo: NGO “Clear Paper”/Volodymyr Chepel

How often do you receive cases related to digital violence?

We rarely receive requests or inquiries that involve digital violence as a separate thing. Usually, it appears as part of other situations — domestic violence, trafficking in persons, or exploitation. Very often, online violence becomes a continuation of offline abuse: the perpetrator calls, texts from different accounts, blackmails, or harasses the survivor, refusing to let them find peace even after they have physically left the dangerous environment.

Such cases often occur in parallel — first there is physical or psychological violence, and then it moves into the online space. This is undoubtedly also a form of domestic violence.

One of your organization’s areas of work is supporting survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. Have there been cases where such crimes were combined with digital violence?

In our practice, cases of conflict-related sexual violence are primarily physical in nature. This can include forced nudity, being forced to witness acts of violence, or rape. We have not recorded direct examples where these crimes were combined with online actions.

However, we are aware of cases where women received threatening messages or phone calls after experiencing violence, aimed at silencing them. These actions can be considered digital violence, as they are carried out using technology and have the same goal — to intimidate, control, and deprive the person of a sense of safety.

Without revealing personal details, could you give a generalized example of a case of digital violence that illustrates the nature of this issue?

I recall a case of domestic violence that was clearly gender-based. A woman with two children — an older daughter who already lived separately and a younger one who was still a minor — experienced control and humiliation from her partner in an unregistered marriage for quite a long time.

He forbade her to work, communicate with her friends, constantly monitored her social media, accessed her accounts, and made baseless accusations of her cheating on him. When the woman finally gathered her strength and left home, the violence did not stop — it simply shifted online.

She began receiving messages from various accounts containing threats and insults. She knew who was behind it, but proving it was nearly impossible. Eventually, to stop the harassment, she had to change her phone number and all her online accounts. As she said, “I wanted to stay connected to the world, but disappear for him.”

To what extent are Ukrainian legislation and protection mechanisms currently capable of responding to such cases?

I believe that Ukrainian legislation on violence prevention is generally quite developed. There is a Law of Ukraine “On Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence”, regulations, resolutions, and the Criminal Code. They are regularly revised and made more people-centered, addressing different age and gender groups. The ratification of the Istanbul Convention also demonstrates the right direction of development.
However, the system is not perfect. For example, online violence is not legally distinguished, even though it exists. 

Much depends on implementation at the local level — on social workers, psychologists, lawyers, police officers, and judges. Improving the system requires regular and accessible training for specialists, even those working in narrow fields, such as doctors or personnel at administrative service centers. They need to be able to notice the “red flags” and refer survivors to hotlines such as 1547 or 1545.

Another challenge is resources for survivors. There are state-run support center for women and girls, but there are not enough of them. There are no such options for men. Survivors of trafficking in persons receive some financial support, while survivors of domestic or gender-based violence do not.

Preventive training and education are also crucial, especially for children and adolescents who spend a lot of time on the Internet, so that they know that violence in any form is unacceptable.  

In your opinion, what is needed to combat violence on the Internet? What solutions — from the state, platforms, and society — could be effective?

Education of children is a key tool in digital violence response. It is important to work with all age groups, from preschoolers to teenagers, as children today are highly digitalized. Even three-year-olds know how to use gadgets and watch cartoons online, while older children play MMO games [Massively Multiplayer Online games], where they can potentially interact with perpetrators.

Online violence often starts as “fun” or a game but can escalate into blackmail, psychological pressure, or even sexual coercion. Girls are most often targeted to send nude photos or videos, which are later used for blackmail.

It is therefore crucial to educate children, parents, and society about what is acceptable and what is not. Children need to be taught how to recognize danger online, where the boundaries of violence lie, and what to do next — calling the police, contacting social services, or reaching out to hotlines.

Effective awareness-raising can be achieved through popular bloggers and media who highlight the problem of online violence and ways to respond in a clear and accessible way. It is essential to foster a culture of zero tolerance for violence, support for survivors, and condemnation of perpetrators.

While online violence — especially psychological or economic — is difficult to identify, it is possible to counter it through knowledge, education, and accessible support mechanisms.

How to identify digital violence and what to do if it has already happened?

First and foremost, you need to listen to yourself. If something in online communication feels unpleasant, if you experience fear, confusion, or anxiety — don’t ignore those feelings. Even if others say it’s “okay,” trust yourself and analyze what is happening.

Next, seek help from professionals. There are psychologists, lawyers, and social workers who know how to respond to cases of online violence. You can also contact hotlines, for example: 1547 — Government hotline for the prevention and response to domestic violence, gender-based violence, and violence against children; 116-123 — National hotline for the prevention of domestic violence, human trafficking, and gender discrimination, and 116-111 — National hotline for children and young people, as well as cyber police hotlines.

And most importantly, do not deal with violence alone. After reaching out, you will receive advice and learn what to do next: changing passwords, blocking accounts, or contacting the police or social services.

The principle is simple: listen to yourself, do not face the problem alone, and know that there are always professionals and resources that can help.

This article was created as part of the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Against Women and Girls.” The opinions and judgments expressed in the interview are the personal opinions of the interviewees and may not reflect the official position of the organizations supporting the campaign.