Cyber Stalking, Cyber Harassment, and Adult Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Stevens, Francesca; Nurse, Jason R. C.; Arief, Budi

doi:10.1089/cyber.2020.0253

Cited by 96 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…For example, there is a reasonably clear pattern that victims of psychosocial cybercrimes such as revenge porn and cyberbullying directly and primarily experience a range of similar emotional, psychological, and behavioural health consequences, according to multiple comprehensive review articles on four psychosocial cybercrime types included in this present study: (see (i) Walker & Sleath's (2017) review of 82 published works on revenge porn; (ii) Watts et al.’s (2017) review of 54 published articles on cyberbullying; and (iii) Stevens, Nurse & Arief's (2021) review of 43 articles on cyberstalking and online harassment for fuller analyses). These consequences include anxiety, self‐harming, depression, low self‐esteem, and suicidal ideation to varying degrees (Stevens, Nurse & Arief, 2021; Walker & Sleath, 2017; Watts et al., 2017). However, in addition to the direct psychological costs of psychosocial cybercrimes, coping with these psychologically based crimes can have indirect financial consequences.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the flip side, comprehensive reviews of published studies on psychosocial cybercrime types tell a different story. For example, Walker & Sleath's (2017) review of 82 published works on revenge porn, Watts et al.’s (2017) review of 54 published articles on cyberbullying, and Stevens, Nurse & Arief's (2021) review of 43 articles on cyberstalking and online harassment suggest that victims of this psychosocial cybercrime category were primarily targeted on the basis of their gender. This article aims to illustrate that psychosocial cybercrimes are more gendered than socio‐economic cybercrimes.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the value of feminist theory in understanding digital crimes: Gender and cybercrime types

Lazarus

Button

Kapend

2022

Howard J Crime Justice

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Do men and women perceive cybercrime types differently? This article draws on the distinction between socio-economic and psychosocial cybercrime proposed by Lazarus (2019) to investigate whether men and women hold different perceptions of digital crimes across these two dimensions. Informed by the synergy between feminist theory and the Tripartite Cybercrime Framework (TCF), our survey examined respondents' differential perceptions of socio-economic cybercrime (online fraud) and psychosocial cybercrime (cyberbullying, revenge porn, cyberstalking, online harassment) among men and women in the United Kingdom. The results revealed that women considered psychosocial cybercrime worse than men. Conversely, we found no differences between men and women with regard to socio-economic cybercrime. The article concludes that psychosocial cybercrimes are more gendered than socio-economic cybercrime, suggesting problems with the meaning of 'cyber-enabled crimes', and substantiating the synergy between the TCF and feminist perspectives.

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Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the value of feminist theory in understanding digital crimes: Gender and cybercrime types

Lazarus

Button

Kapend

2022

Howard J Crime Justice

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“…The term “cyberbullying” itself is not standardized with researchers using a variety of alternate terms including “online bullying/harassment,” “cyber-aggression,” and others, leading to some confusion with actual instances of cyber stalking and cyber harassment [ 3 ]. While cyberbullying was viewed as an extension of bullying practices with different means, its definition has also been contested and revisited continuously, with a conciliatory proposal put forward by Tokunaga [ 4 ] who defined cyberbullying as “any behavior performed through electronic or digital media by individuals or groups that repeatedly communicates hostile or aggressive messages intended to inflict harm or discomfort on others,” emphasizing the intrusion into personal space.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The term "cyberbullying" itself is not standardized with researchers using a variety of alternate terms including "online bullying/harassment," "cyber-aggression," and others, leading to some confusion with actual instances of cyber stalking and cyber harassment [3]. While cyberbullying was viewed as an extension of bullying practices with different means, its definition has also been contested and revisited…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of Cyberbullying and Internet Use Disorder

Floros

Mylona²

2022

Curr Addict Rep

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Purpose of Review The purpose of this review is to critically assess the published studies on the relationship between cyberbullying and internet use disorder (IUD), and propose directions for further study. Recent Findings There were only four prospective studies out of thirty-two reviewed studies conducted since 2004, with only one prospective study conducted during the past 5 years. The field of study has been stagnant during the past 5 years with the vast majority of studies conducted on primary or secondary education and failing to address cyberbullying and IUD in social media and online gaming. Summary Cyberbullying and IUD have been described since the nineties, yet there are still significant issues with their definition and research. Lately, both these problematic behaviors are sharing the same environments in social media and online gaming. This critical appraisal of published research examined thirty-two published peer-reviewed studies carried out since 2004. Findings indicate a number of significant issues including an overreliance on cross-sectional study design, near-exclusive focus on primary and secondary education students, widespread employment of unstandardized measures for cyberbullying and IUD, and lack of assessment for objective measures of psychological distress. Directions for future research are offered.

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“…17 It not only undermines the victims' autonomy, identity, dignity, and wellbeing 18 but also has significant and long-lasting psychosexual consequences. A recent meta-analysis 19 reported that victims of cyber stalking and/or harassment experienced a multitude of harmful and detrimental consequences for their mental health, including depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and panic attacks. Similarly, experiences of cyber-sexual violence were found to be associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic reactions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cyber Avatar of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace: Media Analysis of Reports During COVID-19

Ahuja

Padhy

2021

Journal of Psychosexual Health

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Background: Whether working at physical workplaces or from the seeming safety of home, women employees continue to be hounded by sexual harassment. During COVID-19, sexual harassment has taken on a cyber avatar and continues to enjoy the protections afforded by ambiguity and inept implementation. Objectives: The study explores how media reported cyber sexual harassment (CSH) during a 1-year period after COVID-19 in India. It explores the dominant discourses evident in such media reports, such as the ways in which CSH is manifested, psychosocial factors behind the same, action taken (if any), and organizational practices. Method: The present study involved content analysis of electronic print media content (newspapers and magazines) published in India, in the English language, between the period March 2020 and February 2021. A final pool of 24 articles was purposively arrived at through an Internet-based search, which was classified as news story, editorial, opinion piece, interview, column, and other. Content analysis of the articles was carried out to uncover the main themes. Within these themes, the researchers carried out open coding to identify subthemes. Results: Six broad themes emerged from the articles: manifestations of CSH, causes of CSH, outcomes of CSH, action taken by the victim, organizational practices, and barriers in seeking redressal. Manifestations included inappropriate behavior by boss/colleagues during meeting (30.6%), social media harassment (22.6%), video calls/meeting/work at odd hours (17.7%), inappropriate attire (14.5%), sexist behavior and comments (8.1%), and inappropriate jokes (6.2%). Some of the causes reported for CSH were blurring of personal and professional boundaries, lack of guidelines regarding virtual workplaces, job uncertainty, and notions of patriarchy. Only 29.2% articles highlighted any action(s) taken by the victim. Some of the barriers in seeking redressal were reported to be lack of awareness and/or clear guidelines, fear about the repercussions, difficulty in proving CSH, daunting appellate process, lack of privacy with family members around, and patriarchal culture. Conclusion: The study reiterates the need for clear and consistent communication on CSH, both in organizations and through the media. It is imperative not only to revive and modify the existing policies on CSH but also to implement them effectively. In the “new normal,” organizations need to formulate responses that are multilevel, swift, and coordinated across stakeholders, policymakers, technology specialists, and social scientists.

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Cyber Stalking, Cyber Harassment, and Adult Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Abstract: The version in the Kent Academic Repository may differ from the final published version. Users are advised to check http://kar.kent.ac.uk for the status of the paper. Users should always cite the published version of record.

Cited by 96 publications

References 43 publications

Exploring the value of feminist theory in understanding digital crimes: Gender and cybercrime types

Exploring the value of feminist theory in understanding digital crimes: Gender and cybercrime types

Association of Cyberbullying and Internet Use Disorder

The Cyber Avatar of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace: Media Analysis of Reports During COVID-19

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