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[Cyberstalking: prevalence and impact on victims]
Harald Dressing1, Anne Anders, Christine Gallas
1Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Mannheim. harald.dressing@zi-mannheim.de
Psychiatrische Praxis
|August 4, 2011
Summary
Cyberstalking affects 6.3% of social network users, mirroring real-world stalking patterns. Victims report poorer mental well-being, highlighting the need for clinical attention to this online harassment.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Sociology
Context:
- Increasing prevalence of web-based social networks.
- Cyberstalking as a growing concern in digital interactions.
- Need for understanding online harassment dynamics.
Purpose:
- Investigate the prevalence and types of cyberstalking.
- Examine the psychological impact of cyberstalking on victims.
- Compare cyberstalking with traditional stalking behaviors.
Summary:
- A survey of 6379 social network users found a 6.3% cyberstalking prevalence.
- Cyberstalking shares similarities with real-world stalking regarding gender and relationship contexts.
- Victims exhibited significantly lower well-being scores on the WHO-5 index compared to non-victims.
Impact:
- Cyberstalking negatively impacts victims' mental health and well-being.
- Clinicians must be prepared to address cyberstalking due to its prevalence.
- Current counseling techniques for stalking may be applicable to cyberstalking cases.
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