The relationship between cyber ​​obsessive stalking, post-traumatic stress disorder and fear of crime i̇n female university students

The existing literature on digital bullying and stalking does not examine the psychological effects of such threats, especially on young adults and adults, in a comprehensive manner. The psychological difficulties experienced by female university students are also shaped under the influence of gender roles. Cyberbullying and stalking that women are exposed to on digital platforms create both psychological and social effects, which can directly affect their academic and professional lives. This research aims to fill this gap by addressing the specific problems faced by victims of cyber obsessive stalking and to develop strategies for coping with these problems. The main purpose of this study is to examine the possibility of female university students who are exposed to cyber obsessive stalking experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to this experience. In addition, the fear of being a crime victim of these women was also focused on and the effects of this fear on PTSD symptoms were investigated. In this study, fear of being a crime victim was considered as a mediator variable between cyber stalking and PTSD. Therefore, if individuals exposed to cyberstalking have a fear of being a crime victim, it is thought that this situation will also increase the risk of developing PTSD. Since being exposed to cyberstalking can cause a constant perception of threat in individuals, it is of great importance to determine the level of effects of PTSD symptoms that develop during this process on victims. Especially young women of university age and adult women may have to cope with great difficulties both psychologically and socially when they encounter such digital threats. 502 women studying at higher education level participated in the study. 9 (1.8%) of the participants were associate degree students, 376 (75.2%) were undergraduate students, 86 (17.2%) were graduate students and 29 (5.8%) were doctoral students. Informed consent form, Personal Information Form, Fear of Crime Victimization Form, Cyber Obsessive Stalking Scale (SOTÖ) and Impact of Events Scale (IES-R) were used as data collection tools. According to the statistical results of the study, it was observed that as the level of exposure to cyber obsessive stalking increased, the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increased in individuals, and similarly, it was determined that as the level of exposure to cyber obsessive stalking increased, the fear of being a crime victim also increased. It was accepted that there was a positive relationship between the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and the fear of being a crime victim, and it was observed that the fear of being a crime victim played a mediating role in the relationship between exposure to cyber obsessive stalking and PTSD symptoms. The study also evaluated the types of psychological symptoms that the traumatic experiences of women caused and how these symptoms affected women's fear of being a crime victim. Victims of cyber obsessive stalking may also experience fear of being directly attacked because they feel constantly monitored and controlled. This situation can negatively affect the social and academic lives of individuals and limit their daily functionality. The examination of the relationship between cyber obsessive stalking and PTSD aims to raise awareness not only at the individual level but also at the social level. This study may contribute to the development of important strategies to protect the mental health of female university students, considering the increasing effects of cybercrime and bullying in the digital age.