To act or to ignore? Longitudinal effects of reacting to online harassment on victims’ well-being

• In Event: Cybercrime Working Group - Victimization & Resilience 2

Abstract

Online harassment constitutes a pervasive problem facing modern societies. Victims often choose to actively oppose the perpetrator by blocking their profile, confronting them, or reporting them to site administrators or law enforcement. Purposefully ignoring the situation is also a common way of dealing with online abuse. However, not much is known about how victims’ coping strategies influence their well-being in the aftermath of the harassment. This study uses longitudinal data collected from a nationally representative sample of Finnish adults (N = 1094) to address this research gap. Based on transactional model of stress and coping and self-determination theory, we expected that the choice of coping strategies will have long-term effects on the victims’ well-being. Both within-person and between-person effects were analyzed using hybrid regression models. Results showed that those who actively opposed the perpetrator report significantly lower psychological distress overtime, and higher happiness as compared to those who didn’t react to the harassment. These results confirm that the choice of coping strategy can impact long-term well-being in online harassment instances, and they provide important insights into effectively supporting the victims. The results suggest that taking action in online harassment situations can enhance autonomy and competence, promoting overall well-being.

Authors

• Magdalena Celuch, Tampere University

• Iina Savolainen, Tampere University

• Atte Oksanen, Tampere University