Women troll each other online: How females are just as likely to be abused by their own sex as by men

University of Sussex analysed 131,000 British tweets for trolling



18 per cent of tweets using misogynistic phrases like 'sluts' and 'whores'

A further 12 per cent of tweets referenced 'rape' threateningly

Women are just as likely to be abused online by other females as they are by men and call each other ‘sluts’ and ‘whores’, research has found.

Analysis of more than six million tweets using the two derogatory references to women, and discovered men and women were equally likely to use the vile terms, known as trolling.

The study, carried out by a University of Sussex think tank, worked out that 131,000 of the tweets came from UK accounts, and 18 per cent of those appear misogynistic.

Researchers found thousands of British women use the words 'sluts' and 'whores' when tweeting other women

The team also analysed Twitter for 'rape' references, and found that a shocking 12 per cent of tweets using the word were threatening.

Sample tweets, sent by women included: 'There is always that one annoying slut that acts innocent,' and 'I don't think it's fair that I'm not allowed to tell a rape joke just because you decided to be a slut one night 16 years ago'.

Others have written: 'That's not modelling. That's being a whore in someone's basement.'



One said: 'I hate when bitches don't say thank you after you hold the door open for them. F*** you slut,' while another said: 'I'm just gonna be his whore and not work because it's all I'm good at.'



The study, published by Demos, found women are more likely to be subjected to abuse the men

Horrifically, one tweeter wrote: 'Slut you think I won't choke no whore til her vocal chords won't work in her throat no more.'



Sofia Patel said: ‘Women are increasingly more inclined to engage in discourses using the same language that has been, and continues to be, used as derogatory against them.’

The study, published by think-tank Demos, also found a high proportion of ‘casual’ misogyny on the social network was carried out by women, as they made joking rape references or called friends bad names.