(UN)SILENCING ACADEMIA: A multidimensional perspective on online attacks on academics

This chapter introduces the volume (Un)silencing Academia, which investigates the growing phenomenon of online violence against academics. Situating the issue within broader sociopolitical transformations affecting knowledge production, the chapter conceptualizes “online violence” as digitally mediated attacks targeting scholars in their professional capacity, with the aim of undermining expertise and delegitimizing research. It examines the diverse forms this violence takes – from doxing and trolling to coordinated harassment campaigns – and its uneven distribution across gender, career stage, and marginalized identities. Beyond individual harm, these attacks generate systemic consequences, including stress, disengagement, and self-censorship, thereby narrowing the scope of academic inquiry and reshaping public trust in science. The chapter argues that online violence is not an isolated or marginal phenomenon but a structural expression of contemporary epistemic conflicts in the digital age. It highlights how digital platforms amplify contestations of truth and authority, embedding academic debates within a broader politics of knowledge marked by polarization, distrust, and competing regimes of legitimacy. By outlining the book’s theoretical framework, case studies, and institutional perspectives, the chapter positions online violence as both a symptom and driver of the politicization of expertise. Finally, the chapter advances the concept of “unsilencing” as a collective and ongoing practice of resisting intimidation, defending academic freedom, and fostering solidarities that enable plural and critical forms of knowledge to thrive. In doing so, it issues a dual call for institutional accountability and scholarly solidarity to safeguard the conditions of research in increasingly hostile environments.