The first-ever study conducted using artificial intelligence (AI) to probe the conversations of Jamaicans online about gender-based violence (GBV) has found that “high-performing Jamaican humour posts” are those which make light of the very circumstances that increase women’s vulnerability to GBV.

The study, entitled ‘Tapping Social Media Using Artificial Intelligence to Understand Gender-Based Violence Norms and Perceptions in Jamaica’, was conducted by Oxfam Canada (OCA), the WE-Talk Project, and Quilt.AI. It analysed more than 245,000 Google queries and more than 16,000 social media posts between 2021 and 2023.

According to the study, while comedy can offer repose or escape from negative realities (such as widespread GBV in Jamaica), it can easily descend into trivialisation of the risk factors.

“Country-specific comedy desensitises audience to warning signs of gender-based violence,” the study said further.

“An eagerness to share or laugh at universal experiences, without an awareness of how those experiences are intertwined with identity-specific violence, can turn a harmless post into a dangerous precedent,” the study added.

The canvassers said the two themes which Jamaican comedy often trivialises centre on men catcalling women and violence against women in relationships.

“This humour tries to justify these behaviours as cultural traditions, downplaying their seriousness, rooted in patriarchal values of gender inequality. Such humour encourages dangerous mindsets, which objectify and disrespect women, which overlook the mistreatment of women and do not recognise GBV as a crime and violation of human rights,” the researchers said.

They also noted that social sanctions for these trespasses consist only of victim-blaming, lack of consequences and norms that prioritise social harmony over addressing GBV.

In assessing the role of influencers in feeding the trend, the researchers said, “Many are content creators with large followings, eager to share commonalities — either nationally or abroad — about what it means to be Jamaican, to grow up with Jamaican parents, or to navigate Jamaican society.

“High-engaging posts speak to widespread experiences of violence, anger, and abuse — or the circumstances that invite those experiences. As with comedy, these creators serve as a mirror to their culture, or are using comedy to cope with the experiences of being victimised, at times by their very own culture. Some of the influencers who joke about GBV risk factors for women are women themselves,” it pointed out.

In assessing how humorously downplaying the risk factors acts as a barrier to support for survivors, the researchers said, “The trivialisation of GBV risk factors reinforces harmful attitudes and practices, makes it harder for victims to be taken seriously, and discourages survivors from seeking help or accessing justice.”

Furthermore, they said, it severely undermines the importance of developing and implementing effective strategies for GBV prevention and response.

In the meantime, the fact finders said teen moms, youths 16 to 24 years of age, elder women, and economic dependents have been on the receiving end of the humour.

Referencing teen moms it said the cohort has been “experiencing further mocking in the digital realm”.

“There are videos in the online world that make fun of teen moms in Jamaica, yet little discourse exists where users respond or criticise this content. This content may serve as an extension of the mocking or stigmatisation they experience, further marginalising and isolating them both online and offline,” the study warned.

It said while adults may have the capacity to engage with this content critically, youth are engulfed in content that normalises violence.

In respect of older women, it said, “Violence has been trivialised and normalised outside social media, and in turn users discuss and speculate how this demographic has been experiencing abuse over the course of their lifetimes.”

In commenting on the findings relating to economic dependents, it said, “Jokes delegitimise dependents’ risk of violence at hands of provider”.

“Jokes about women or youths being financially dependent on men are so rampant in the online space that women who are exploited, trapped, or experience violence as a by-product of that dependence may not have their concerns heard or legitimised. Or violence is treated as a normal part of the financial arrangement,” the AI-generated study found.

As to methods of challenging “harmful humour”, the researchers said, “Regularly monitoring social media platforms for content that trivialises GBV or promotes violence against women and children ([for example] school fights) could be a good starting point for creating educational dialogue concerning the impact that content can have on real-life victims.”

In noting that light-hearted humour may still have its place, the study said, “When content creators leverage the power of humour to challenge negative ideas, myths, and stereotypes, comedy can be used to raise awareness.”

Meanwhile, the study said, “Out of all queries collected, the AI classified 13 per cent of all narrative searches as relating to school violence, followed by global pornography (8.5 per cent), scandals (6.1 per cent), and memes (5.7 per cent).

It said, “School, pornographic sites, and entertainment platforms (albeit gossip sites or meme pages) are all significant informants of youth culture, which means users are desensitised to the very behaviours that should flag concern and intervention in youth.”