P024 - Digital Shadows: unraveling the impact of online harassment on young adults' mental health

• In Event: Poster Session & Ice Cream Social

Abstract

This study examines the prevalence and consequences of online harassment, with a particular focus on young adults. Data collection is ongoing and data were collected through an online survey on the Qualtrics XM platform, administered in a self-report format using any suitable electronic device for completion. A demographic questionnaire was administered to collect demographic information relevant to the study's aim. To assess online victimization, an ad hoc questionnaire was developed based on different categories of online harassment that individuals may be exposed to. These categories included Trolling, Cross-Platform Harassment, Cyberbullying, Cyber-Mob Attacks, Cyberstalking, Deepfake, Denial of Access, Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks, Dog Whistling, Doxing, Hacking, Hashtag Poisoning, Hateful Speech, Nonconsensual Intimate Images, Online Impersonation, Online Sexual Harassment, Phishing, Threats, Zoombombing.
The "Online Sexual Harassment" (Buchanan and Mahoney, 2021) was used to investigate the specific aspect of online sexual abuse and the Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis, 1975) was used to assess symptomatology. The "Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire" (JVQ, Hamby et al., 2004) was used to assess the degree of exposure to violence and victimization in youth and the "Humiliation Inventory" was employed to assess the internal experience of humiliation. Preliminary analyses with a sample of 41 participants revealed that all participants experienced at least one form of online harassment, with a high incidence of offensive statements and sexually explicit harassment. Moreover, the study highlights a significant correlation between previous victimization experiences and increased exposure to online harassment. Statistical analyses have demonstrated significant associations between online victimization, particularly sexual harassment online, and various psychological symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and somatization. The work emphasizes the importance of considering online victimization experiences within the broader context of peer violence and social dynamics among young adults, highlighting the need for further research and targeted interventions to prevent and counteract these harmful phenomena.

Authors

• Benedetta Barchielli, Department of Dynamic, Clinical Psychology and Health, “Sapienza” University of Rome.

• Benedetta Barchielli, Department of Dynamic, Clinical Psychology and Health, “Sapienza” University of Rome.

• Cricenti Clarissa, Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome.

• Martina Manna, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy

• Giannini Anna Maria, Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome.

• Stefano Ferracuti, Department of Human Neuroscience, “Sapienza” University of Rome.

• Giulia Lausi, Faculty of Law, Vilnius University