Tara Moss knows what it feels like to be attacked online.
The journalist, and human rights advocate has been the victim of trolling, online harassment and received threats online of rape and death after revealing she was a victim of sexual violence and speaking out against sexism.
In her new show, Cyberhate, she is delving into the dark side of the internet to uncover this world of cyber violence and to examine the issue of online abuse from different angles.
"There are a lot of knee-jerk reactions to the topic that don't take in the complexities of online abuse and its many forms, and I felt that by examining it more thoroughly in a documentary we could encourage a more nuanced public discussion," she said.
Even though she's had her own experiences of online abuse and is familiar with the area she says there were still stories that shocked her.
"There would be something wrong with me if I didn't feel something when hearing those stories," she said.
She was also surprised to discover the physical effects this kind of abuse can have.
"I also undertook an MRI for the program, and my brain and autonomic nervous system were observed by experts while I was exposed to online abuse. I was shocked to see the physiological reactions to the abuse, and to learn that the brain signature for cyberbullying is similar to that of chronic pain," she said.
Cyberbullying, online abuse and online crimes are a growing problem.
"More than 75 per cent of Australians under 30 are experiencing online abuse, and it is also impacting a large number of people all the way into their senior years now," she said.
However, through the show, Moss offers some solutions to try to tackle this growing issue.
"There are a number of suggestions put forward on the show, from teaching online ethics in schools and workplaces to encouraging law enforcement to act on online abuse cases where crimes have been committed, and making sure they have the resources to do so," she said.
And for anyone suffering cyber hate or cyber bullying, Moss says: "Block, ban, report and get support."
"Cyberbullying and online attacks are not OK, and in some cases are against the law. Just like with other crimes, you can report it. Block and ban where possible, report the abuse to the platform (Twitter, Facebook, etc) and if appropriate, consider reporting it to the police as well," she said.
* Children who are bullied or find their privacy attacked or private images shared online without their consent can report that to the police, or report to the E Safety Commission.
* You can also contact Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.
* If the online abuse you are receiving is linked to domestic abuse or abuse from a former or current partner, you can contact 1800 RESPECT.
* Cyberhate airs on ABC2 on March 15 and will be available on iview after Bullied from 9.30pm on March 14.
