South-African students’ experiences of and reactions to online victimisation : a gender analysis

Abstract

Technological advances continually shape the world, and technology has become an integral part of everyday life. University students rely on the internet for their academic and social lives, making them vulnerable to online harassment and victimisation. Although there has been a growing interest in cybercrime and online victimisation, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the phenomenon among South African university students. The present study set out to describe undergraduate students’ access to and use of social media and other electronic platforms, their experiences of online victimisation, and how students respond to such events. A total of 1,001 students participated in a correlational survey, using a group-administered questionnaire developed from existing instruments and literature. Since a non-probability sampling strategy was followed, the gender analysis relied on non-parametric procedures, and effect sizes were calculated where significant differences were found. Meaningful differences (p < 0.05) were noted in students’ sources of the internet and their reasons for its use. Female students were significantly more likely to experience online harassment from strangers and to receive unwanted sexual images or messages. Male students, on the other hand, were more likely to fall victim to electronic viruses or malicious software. Not surprisingly, the total online victimisation scores showed meaningful differences between male and female respondents. Gender differences further emerged in how students responded to online victimisation, particularly in reporting incidents to authorities and confronting the harasser.