Emily Attack details vile online sexual harassment campaign and the impact on her on BBC Breakfast

Emily Atack appeared in high spirits on Monday when she left BBC Breakfast after detailing her experience of sexual harassment online.

The actress, 33, appeared on the show to discuss her upcoming BBC documentary Emily Attack: Asking For It?

Emily explained her motivation for campaigning for stronger bullying laws and the impact it has on her and her family’s mental health.

She said: ‘We were in lockdown, everyone felt really isolated and all my life I had noticed the behavior men throw at me.

“But I really noticed an increase in sexually violent threats sent to me on social media.

“And it was getting worse and worse and I used humor as a way to deal with it and explain it to say if this is normal.”

‘I took a screenshot of the stuff and just wanted to see the reaction. It was fascinating to see how big of a problem this is.’

Speaking about the vile things that have been sent to him, he said: “Sadly, things have happened to me in person as well.”

Let her say: The actress, 33, appeared on the show to discuss her upcoming BBC documentary Emily Attack: Asking For It?

‘The reason I say this online abuse is just as bad as it is on the street is that the feeling I get when something is sent to me gives me the same feelings as if it happened on the street.

When someone sends me a message like that, I can delete it, but that message has already been sent, I have to continue to see that.

‘People ask me to turn a blind eye by blocking and deleting. All of these behaviors can escalate and become much worse.’

After a clip from the documentary of her mother reading the messages she received on a daily basis, she said: ‘Look at the ripple effect it has on a family. It takes them three seconds to send me that, but the consequences it has on my family and my parents’ self-blame for not protecting me more and me blaming myself for what I posted. The consequences are what is so terrible.

‘Power and control are the two words that keep coming up. Men say we do it because we can. This is systemic, this is behavior that has been normalized for generations and generations.

“We talk a lot about toxic masculinity and there’s a lot of pressure growing up to be manly and join in on the jokes and they feel a sense of pressure. Men worry that women will laugh at them and women worry that men will kill them.

Emily went on to talk about how she was trying to change the laws around sexual harassment online.

She said: ‘When I started the process, I was looking at the law, I did a talk in Parliament about the mental impact.

“Looking at the law, changing it, it would be a little more comforting to know that they are taking it seriously.

Consequences: On the show, Emily explained her motivation for campaigning for stronger bullying laws and the impact it has on her and her family’s mental health.

She added: ‘I still question myself, when I went in a minute ago I was making sure my cleavage wasn’t too far out. We don’t want to give the impression that we are flaunting our bodies.

“I talk about my sex life on my shows, I am very sexually liberated, but this type of behavior I have been inclined to, because from a young age it has been projected onto me. It has become a survival mechanism. We are absolutely not asking for it.’;

Speaking about why she had decided to be so open about the abuse, Emily explained that it was to help other women.

She said: “There will be so many women dealing with this who will be afraid to say that this is happening to them.” We are afraid to speak up or have our trauma doubted.

Hard at work: Emily went on to talk about how she was trying to change laws around sexual harassment online.

‘This is not about us, we’ve been told what we need to change and I’m sick of trying to change myself and I think we all are.

‘We are tired and we are saying where is the responsibility for this behavior and crimes?

They text me about rape, dick pics, it happens every day. We have to start looking the other way, men and women together, not separately’.

Her words come after the actress spoke about the barrage of explicit messages she receives daily in the first trailer for her show.

Emily has had to endure sexual harassment online since her teens and in the trailer and admitted she is “nervous” about going public.

The comedian admitted that she sometimes worries if the messages are “her fault” because she shares photos of herself in a bikini and other revealing clothing online.

In the trailer, Emily says, “Every morning when I wake up, I see a man’s penis that I didn’t ask to see.”

The former In betweeners actress is seen in her kitchen, checking her phone, as she counts the number of messages she has received.

She says: ‘This morning, I had… I want to see your t**s count?… 37. This man sends me pictures of him doing handstands all the time.

She adds: ‘At eight in the morning, this beautiful, big, veiny penis there. That really put me off my scrambled eggs to be fair.

Candid: Emily has had to put up with online sexual harassment since her teens and in the trailer she admitted she’s “nervous” about going public.

Several sexually explicit messages Emily received online flashed across the screen and she can be heard saying, “That’s the utmost disrespect.”

“It’s the best thing to say: ‘I think you’re easy to reach and ready.’

“It was in lockdown that things got very, very bad. I felt sick knowing what I was about to see. And I started putting these messages on my Instagram.

‘I wanted to know how many other people were getting them. He made me realize that it is happening to a lot of people.

Show: The comedian has admitted she sometimes worries if the messages are ‘her fault’ because she shares snaps of herself in a bikini and other revealing clothing online

Emily is then seen talking to several other women, including a teenage girl, who have been subjected to sexual harassment online.

At the end of the trailer, she says, ‘I want it to stop. It’s about catching these people before they do their worst. This is what people have to understand.

“I’m nervous to go public with all of this because I put bikini pics on my Instagram. You know, I talk about sex in my shows and I’m very cheeky and flirtatious.

“There will be people who say: ‘you asked for this negative attention, what do you expect?’ You sit there and say, ‘is this my fault? Is this something I’m posting? ‘

Documentary: At the end of the trailer, she says, ‘I want it to stop. It’s about catching these people before they do their worst. This is what people have to understand’

In April of last year, Emily hit out at her male fans who bombarded her with unsolicited photos of their penises on social media.

The actress said she is likely to receive “about 10 penises that I haven’t asked to see” before breakfast.

she told the Mirror at the time: ‘If someone sends me a sexually explicit message, I’m like, ‘Why did they say that to me?’

“It makes you question who you are and why you’re single.”

Speaking about her love life, she also joked, “I try to stay away from things that aren’t good for me.”

Emily Attack: Ask? airs from January 31 on BBC iPlayer.

Emily said: ‘I wanted to know how many other people were getting them. She made me realize that it’s happening to so many people’