Young people, Instagram, sexist violence and alcohol: Pre(inter)vention through Social Work

Introduction. The specialized literature has drawn attention to youth dynamics in online environments, highlighting new relational spaces where traditional offline youth leisure interactions have been transferred. Among these practices, two main ones stand out: the reproduction of gender-based violence in digital spaces, and the use of social networking sites linked to alcohol consumption as an emerging topic of research. Based on this theoretical development, the confluence of such violence and problematic consumption is beginning to emerge as a new field of study. This article presents part of the results of a project with young people from different Spanish localities, addressing the interrelation between these two issues, still under-researched. The objective is to analyse youth communication on social networking sites, such as Instagram, to understand how they relate to the use and abuse of alcohol and its role in violent behaviours. The ultimate goal is to propose intervention strategies against gender-based violence in digital environments where young people spend their leisure time, ones involving the constant use of social networking sites and, frequently, the consumption of alcohol or other drugs. Methodology. The study was conducted through 38 in-depth interviews and 13 focus groups, with a total of 118 participants from 12 Autonomous Communities. The sample selection focused on individuals aged 15 to 24, with active profiles on the social networking site Instagram and who consumed alcohol (from occasionally to intensively). Results. The testimonies analysed reveal three discursive repertoires that demonstrate the relationship between sexist violence and the projection of masculinity in digital spaces. Simultaneously, we identified a series of individual and collective response strategies to such behaviour, showing both the youth's agency and the versatility offered by social networking sites to address problems associated with their misuse. Discussion. The results highlight the multi-level violence faced by young women daily in the virtual sphere and their vulnerability to the aggressive behaviour of boys, consistent with previous research. These specific gender risks reveal the dual paradox of the “Net”, as it is neither delocalized nor reticulated. This opens up a space for social intervention from a preventive perspective, working with young people on the three axes: the consumption of alcohol and other drugs, social networking sites, and gender-based violence. Conclusions. Social Work provides theoretical and methodological tools to address the problem through multidisciplinary teams that approach media literacy and youth relational sociability from a gender perspective and with an intersectional focus.