Article Dans Une Revue International Neuropsychiatric Disease Journal Année : 2025

Effect of Cyberbullying and Cyberstalking in Youth: A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Western India

Résumé

Background: Cyberbullying and cyberstalking are emerging challenges, especially among youths, owing to the growing penetration of social media and digital platforms. Despite the global awareness of their psychological consequences, specific data from Gujarat, India, remains scarce. Objectives: To study the prevalence, demographic correlations, and psychological impacts of cyberbullying and cyberstalking among youths in a tertiary care setting. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 participants aged between 18-28 years from June 2024 to July 2024. A validated questionnaire and the DASS-21 scale were employed. DASS 21 is a short scale that helps to assess of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress simultaneously. Each domain contains seven items, divided into subscales with similar content. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests and logistic regression to assess demographic correlations and psychological outcomes. Results: The study found a high prevalence of cyberbullying (57%) and cyberstalking (41%) among youths aged 18-28 years. Females were significantly more likely to be victims of cyber harassment, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.1, indicating higher psychological distress. Prolonged screen time (≥4 hours per day) was a significant predictor of cyberbullying and cyberstalking victimization. Younger participants (aged 18-22 years) also represented a higher proportion of victims. Psychological impact, as measured by the DASS-21 scale, showed that 67% of victims reported moderate to severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Logistic regression analysis identified gender, daily screen time, and age as strong predictors of victimization, with victims of cyberbullying more likely to report mental health challenges. Conclusion: Cyberbullying and cyberstalking are significant issues among youths. Findings underscore the urgent need for awareness campaigns, mental health support, and policy interventions to mitigate these digital threats. Limitations: This study is limited by its cross-sectional design, which prevents establishing causality between social media usage and cyber harassment and it is limited to only state of Gujarat.

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Dates et versions

hal-05065717 , version 1 (13-05-2025)

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Lakhan R Kataria, Nisheet M Patel, Akansha Jain, Dhatri C Sarvaiya, Prajesh M Kalathiya. Effect of Cyberbullying and Cyberstalking in Youth: A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Western India. International Neuropsychiatric Disease Journal, 2025, 22 (4), pp.1-8. ⟨10.9734/indj/2025/v22i4488⟩. ⟨hal-05065717⟩
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