Online Victims Research Articles

Dublin Anti-Bullying Self-Efficacy Models and Scales: Development and Validation.

Literature on anti-bullying programs shows a growing consensus about promoting victims and bystanders' self-efficacy against bullying, but provides no theoretical model nor measurement scale to assess the extent of achieving this aim. The current research aims to address these theoretical and empirical gaps by proposing the Dublin Anti-Bullying Self-Efficacy Models and Scales, using a convenience sample of 14-year-old students in Ireland (N = 1,100). After establishing both content and face validity, four separate scales were tested to measure anti-bullying self-efficacy beliefs among offline victims (20-item), online victims (20-item), offline bystanders (20-item), and online bystanders (20-item). Thereafter, four separate exploratory factor analyses of the scale items were followed by reflective measurement analyses of their internal consistency and construct (convergent and discriminant) validity. Results indicated sufficient psychometric properties of each scale measuring five dimensions of anti-bullying self-efficacy: recognition, emergency comprehension, responsibility, knowledge, and intervention. Further research is needed to test the proposed model and scale for assessing effectiveness of an anti-bullying program in promoting self-efficacy beliefs.

Child online safety and parental intervention: a study of Sri Lankan internet users

Purpose Today’s world of digital and mobile media does not require actual physical contact, between the suitable target and the motivated offender, as with traditional crime. In fact, as Mesch (2009) contended that the internet is not merely an information channel but it creates a new space of activities for children, where they are exposed to motivated offenders and the actors of fourth party. Therefore, for the sake of children’s safety, the practice of parental mediation control is increasingly becoming more pertinent everyday. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine how parental mediation control in Sri Lanka is influenced by their internet self-efficacy, their experience as online victims and their trust in online users. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a unique data set of computer and internet users from Sir Lanka to examine parental intervention in their children’s online activities. Specifically, the data set contains 347 responses from computer and internet users. To analyze the data, the authors use a binary dependent (probit) model. Findings The results show that such factors alter the baseline probability of parental intervention. However, some differences are found between younger and older parents, with the latter group responding more to trust in online users and victimization experience while the former is mainly driven from computer self-efficacy. In particular, the older group is less likely to trust online internet users in terms of never adding unknown persons in the social media. Finally, being self-employed and an older parent has a positive effect on the likelihood of adopting parental controls, possibly because of the non-pecuniary attributes of self-employment. Originality/value This study adds to the emerging parental mediation control literature by looking at the likelihood of younger and older parents who were victims of cybercrimes, who have greater internet self-efficacy and lower online third-party trust to adopt parental mediation control behaviors. Also another contribution to the literature is the role of occupation type on parental monitoring behaviors.

Trust and victimization: A cross-national comparison of Finland, the U.S., Germany and UK

This study examines the relationship between average means of generalized trust on two groups of social connections, namely people in general and people only met online, and respondents’ past experiences with online and offline victimization. Our data was collected from four countries, Finland, the U.S., Germany and UK from participants aged 15–30 years. Each country was analyzed separately using OLS regression models. Our findings indicated that offline victimization had a negative association with perceived trust in people in general in all four countries. Online victimization was negatively associated with trust in people in general only in Finland and Germany. Trust towards people only met online was not as clearly associated with online and offline victimization, but in the U.S. and UK online victims reported higher trust. Gender, age, social activity, residence area and age also indicated country level differences in terms of their association with trust.

Psychosomatic complaints in adolescence: Untangling the relationship between offline and online peer victimization, psychosomatic complaints and social support

Offline peer victimization has been linked to psychosomatic complaints. As peer victimization is no longer limited to adolescents’ offline relationships, it is crucial that we investigate whether online peer victimization has similar negative consequences. To date, no study systematically investigated the unique contribution of online vs. offline peer victimization on psychosomatic complaints, and the possible protective effect of social support. The current study disentangled offline and online peer victimization by distinguishing four victim types: non-victims, offline, online, and dual victims (N = 897, 9-to-18-year-olds). In addition, we assessed perceived social support from teachers, parents, friends and classmates. A main effect was found for victim type on psychosomatic complaints. Victims (offline or dual) reported more psychosomatic complaints than non-victims. Notably, online victims reported similar levels of psychosomatic complaints compared to non-victims. Furthermore, although social support from parents and classmates was related to fewer psychosomatic complaints, only limited support was found for a buffering effect of social support.

Offline netwerken, online pesten

Offline networks, online bullying: a social network analysis of cyberbullying in a school context Offline networks, online bullying: a social network analysis of cyberbullying in a school context Young adolescents increasingly bully each other in ‘cyberspace’, which has raised a significant amount of academic attention. The present study contributes to this body of research by linking cyberbullying to young people’s offline social relationships. It considers the influence of social position on victimization, and the interactions between online victims and perpetrators. For this purpose an entire grade of 174 pupils, age 12 and 13, was surveyed. The pupil’s social networks were analyzed to predict who is being victimized and by whom adolescents are cyberbullied. Results indicate that victims of cyberbullying have fewer mutual friends at school, regardless of traditional bullying involvement. In contrast, their number of mutual ‘best friends’ does not significantly differ. Furthermore, cyberbullying proves to be a true extension of offline bullying; victims are being bullied by the same perpetrators offline and online, which is particularly problematic. In sum, offline relationships and interactions do influence online bullying.

Exploitation of Victims' Desire for Revenge: A Natural Psychological Mechanism and Its Unnatural Production in Culture and Politics

This paper elaborates on key themes of the on-line project Victims' Symptom—PTSD and Culture. A clinical, psychiatric definition of victim, rather than a cultural one, is used to distinguish real from false victims. The danger of the media production of false victims lies in its power to re-victimize the original victims, aside from gains that a false victim may win by taking on the role or attitudes of a victim. Contrary to the common stress on financial benefits of being a victim, this article focuses on the negative economy of revenge, as a postponed reaction by real victims, that if institutionalized may provoke or support and even increase the production of new fatalities.

Youth Internet Victimization in a Broader Victimization Context

To examine past-year and lifetime rates of online victimization and associations with offline victimizations, trauma symptomatology, and delinquency among adolescents. Data were collected through telephone interviews from a nationally representative sample of 2,051 adolescents (ages, 10-17) as part of the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence. Data were collected between January and May, 2008. Six percent of youth reported a past-year online victimization and 9% a lifetime online victimization. Almost all youth reporting a past-year online victimization (96%) reported offline victimization during the same period. The offline victimizations most strongly associated to online victimization were sexual victimizations (e.g., sexual harassment, being flashed, rape) and psychological and emotional abuse. Online victims also reported elevated rates of trauma symptomatology, delinquency, and life adversity. Prevention and intervention should target a broader range of behaviors and experiences rather than focusing on the Internet component exclusively. Internet safety educators need to appreciate that many online victims may be at risk not because they are naive about the Internet, but because they face complicated problems resulting from more pervasive experiences of victimization and adversity.

Predatory Online Behavior: Modus Operandi of Convicted Sex Offenders in Identifying Potential Victims and Contacting Minors Over the Internet

ABSTRACT Sex offenders have used the Internet to identify and contact minors for sexual exploitation (Armagh, 1998; Hernandez, 2000; Lamb, 1998; Lanning, 1998). Yet little is known about how these individuals select their online victims. In order to gain a better understanding of this behavior, the online activity of 31 men who perpetrated or attempted to perpetrate contact sex offenses against minors they communicated with via the Internet, was examined. Three-fourths of the participants monitored chat room dialogue and almost one-half reviewed online profiles of minors in an attempt to identify potential victims. Recommendations to increase the online safety of children and adolescents are discussed.

Online victims: Internet behaviors make targets of some kids

Science NewsVolume 171, Issue 6 p. 85-86 This Week Online victims: Internet behaviors make targets of some kids Bruce Bower, Bruce BowerSearch for more papers by this author Bruce Bower, Bruce BowerSearch for more papers by this author First published: 30 September 2009 https://doi.org/10.1002/scin.2007.5591710607AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume171, Issue610 February 2007Pages 85-86 RelatedInformation