Female Tourist Guides Experiences of Coping with Gender on Social Media and Boundary Violations

The rise of social media has led to an increase in online harassment targeting young women, manifesting in various forms such as sexually explicit messages, cyberbullying, defamation, and verbal abuse. In this context, the primary aim of this study is to examine the impact of online sexual harassment associated with social media use on female tourist guides working in Istanbul, one of Turkiye's leading tourism destinations. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed during the data collection and analysis phases. The responses collected from 131 female tour guides in Istanbul indicate that the majority hold a bachelor's degree and have been working in the profession for less than one year. A significant finding is that the likelihood of experiencing online sexual harassment tends to increase with the length of professional experience. The findings also suggest that the advanced technical features of social media platforms particularly those enabling location tracking facilitate the online victimization of young women. In this regard, the attitudes and intentions of cybercriminals, combined with the tendency of young women to openly share personal information on social media, significantly contribute to their vulnerability to online harassment. This study provides important insights into the forms and underlying dynamics of online sexual harassment experienced by young female social media users. It also sheds light on the individual and professional coping strategies employed by female tourist guides in response to online harassment. These strategies include setting social media accounts to private, blocking abusive users, employing online silence tactics, and seeking institutional support. Furthermore, by considering the evolving nature of digital platforms, the study contributes both theoretically and practically to the field of crime geography.