Study Buddy (Challenger): Pink hair unites women in fight against cyberbullying in China

[2] Her inspiration was a 23-year-old woman named Zheng Linghua who is said to have taken her own life after being subjected to six months of bullying on Chinese social media over the colour of her hair. Her pink hair was linked by some commenters to prostitution, and she was relentlessly called “nightclub girl” and other slurs. Zheng tried to sue the online bullies, and some issued public apologies. But she was diagnosed with depression, and in February, a friend revealed that she had died a month earlier.

[3] While millions showed their grief and support for Zheng, Zhang wanted to make a bolder statement. She put out a call on social media, inviting her friends to join her in dyeing their hair pink to support cyberattack victims and make their voices heard in the fight against cyberbullying of women.

[4] The spontaneous “pink up” campaign spread like wildfire on social media platform Weibo. The outpouring of support reached its height at the end of February, days before International Women’s Day on March 8, with its focus this year on achieving gender equity through digital innovation and technology.

[5] Research by UN Women suggests that online gender-based violence is a pervasive threat across the world, which is forcing women out of digital spaces. The United Nations body also noted the lack of sufficient legal resources to fight the abuse. Experts say women, especially the young and disadvantaged, are the most common victims of online violence because they do not have the power or privilege to fight back. They also agree that the problem can get worse at times of radical social change or challenges.

[6] Sociology and gender scholar Yige Dong, from the State University of New York in Buffalo, said the phenomenon was universal, occurring across cultures in tough times or periods of radical change. “The masses may project their moral panic onto individuals, especially women, and vent the collective hysteria by purging those vulnerable individuals,” she said.

[7] The cyberbullying of women like Zheng could be related to China’s strict zero-Covid policy of the past three years, Dong suggested. Strict lockdowns, quarantine and frequent testing not only took a mental toll on people, but also severely dragged on the economy, adding pressure to the jobs market. Dong’s point was echoed by Zhou Xiaoxuan, also known as Xianzi, a leading advocate in China’s #MeToo movement. “The hysteria towards women boiled to the extreme when everyone was most confined during Covid,” she said. “Venting out on women is the easiest thing they can do, and people can easily get away with it without paying any price.”

[8] In China, there are laws in place to tackle the issue. However, the reality is always complicated and nuanced, making it difficult for the law to work in practice. China’s criminal law stipulates punishment for insulting or defaming others by fabricating facts, but a causal relationship needs to be established to secure a conviction.

[9] In Zheng’s case, the challenge would have been to pinpoint a specific cause and prove that a particular person’s actions led to harm. In cyberbullying cases, several factors usually lead to a single consequence. Therefore, it is difficult for the court to establish the cause-and-effect relationship which is necessary for convicting someone according to the law.
Source: South China Morning Post, March 8

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1. What are the TWO reasons behind Zhang’s new hair colour in paragraph 1? (2 marks)

2. Paragraph 2 explains how Zheng _________ online bullying.
A. successfully overcame
B. became a victim of
C. resorted to
D. none of the above

3. What did Zhang do to express her opinion about cyberbullying according to paragraph 3?

4. Find a phrase in paragraph 4 that means to “become known quickly”.

5. What did 2023’s International Women’s Day centre around?

6. In paragraph 5, which groups of people are particularly susceptible to being mistreated online because of their gender, and why? (2 marks)

7. Why does Dong think that the rise in online violence against women in China could be related to the country’s zero-Covid policy?

8. Paragraphs 8 and 9 talk about ...
A. the difficulties in prosecuting cyberbullies in China.
B. what needs to change in how cyberbullies are handled.
C. why those responsible for Zheng’s death have not been held responsible.
D. all of the above

9. What does “a specific cause” in paragraph 9 specifically refer to?

1. quitting her job and taking a stand against online abuse
2. B
3. She put out a call on social media, inviting her friends to join her in dyeing their hair pink to support cyberattack victims and make their voices heard in the fight against cyberbullying of women.
4. spread like wildfire

5. achieving gender equity through digital innovation and technology
6. Young and disadvantaged women are particularly susceptible because they do not have the power or privilege to fight back against their online bullies.
7. It is because in tough times or periods of radical change, masses of people may project their moral panic onto individuals, especially women. / China’s strict pandemic policies took a mental toll on people and severely affected the economy, causing some people to vent their frustrations on vulnerable women. (accept similar answers)
8. D
9. the cyberbullies’ actions that led Zheng to take her own life / the harmful comments from Zheng’s cyberbullies that led her to take her own life (accept similar answers)