Digital victimisation in cyberspace: Victim perspectives on cyberstalking and implications for online safety

Jansen Van Rensburg, Shandre Kim

doi:10.22059/jcss.2026.412933.1244

Digital victimisation in cyberspace: Victim perspectives on cyberstalking and implications for online safety

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original article

Author

Shandre Kim Jansen Van Rensburg

Department of Criminology and Security Science, University of South Africa, Tshwane, South Africa.

10.22059/jcss.2026.412933.1244

Abstract

Background: The expansion of digital connectivity has transformed cyberspace into a central site of social interaction, but has also enabled new forms of harm, including cyberstalking. Despite growing attention, cyberstalking remains conceptually underdeveloped, particularly in relation to its manifestations in digitally mediated environments.
Aims: This study explores cyberstalking from a victim-centred perspective, focusing on how different forms of cyberstalking are shaped by the affordances of cyberspace and how these experiences inform online safety.
Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological design was employed, with data collected through in-depth email interviews with 12 participants recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Thematic analysis identified four distinct forms of cyberstalking, namely vindictive, composed, intimate, and collective cyberstalking, with intimate cyberstalking emerging as the most prevalent.
Findings: Cyberstalking is a multifaceted form of digital victimisation, characterised by persistence, anonymity, and continuous accessibility across platforms. The study demonstrates that the impact of cyberstalking extends beyond immediate emotional harm, influencing victims’ social behaviour, digital participation, and perceptions of safety.
Conclusion: By situating cyberstalking within the structural conditions of cyberspace, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of digital victimisation and highlights the need for context-sensitive online safety measures that respond to the varied forms of cyberstalking.

Keywords

Main Subjects

humanities & social sciences

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