Stalking and Other Forms of Dating Violence: Lessons Learned from You in Relation to Cyber Safety

Abstract

Often, individuals share private information on social media, being unaware of online dangers. You, a popular psychological thriller series on Netflix, raises issues of stalking behaviors through social media as part of a pattern of dating violence. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, this study examined how social media is used for erotic stalking, dating violence, and cyber safety awareness (or lack thereof) in You. The researchers analyzed all 10 episodes of the first season of You independently, taking notes. A combined in-depth analysis included discussions of messages and meanings resulting in three overarching themes: obsessive online and in-person erotic stalking, controlling behaviors in the context of the dating relationship, and an apparent indifference about cyber safety with oversharing of personal information on social media, which was exploited by the lead protagonist. You raises important concerns including inappropriate dating behaviors such as stalking, coercive control, violence, and questionable masculine attitudes, which are interwoven with an apparent lack of knowledge and understanding in relation to cyber safety. We concluded that raising awareness of the importance of online safety and security in the context of a dating relationship is imperative and that You can be used as an educational tool.

The association between dating violence victimization and the well-being of young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

“…Violence within adolescent (10–18 years) and emerging adult (18–29 years; Arnett, 2018; Arnett et al, 2014) romantic relationships is usually referred to as dating violence (DV). It entails a wide range of face-to-face violent actions, including physical violence (e.g., hitting or pushing the partner), psychological violence—also called verbal/emotional violence—(e.g., insulting, humiliating, rejecting, disregarding, ignoring, manipulating), sexual violence (e.g., forcing sexual contact against the partner’s will or forcing them to engage in unwanted sexual practices), relational violence (e.g., coercion, being isolated from family or friends, spreading rumors, emotional and instrumental punishment; Cava et al, 2018; Wincentak et al, 2017), and stalking violence (e.g., abusive control over the partner through unwanted and intrusive following or surveillance; Chugh & Guggisberg, 2022). DV can also take place through information and communication technologies (TICs).…”

“…Accordingly, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the relationship between dating violence victimization and the wellbeing of adolescents and emerging adults, including as specific aims to explore the protective role of well-being and to analyze the moderating effect of variables such as gender, type of study, type of victimization, type of well-being, and country of publication. emotional and instrumental punishment; Cava et al, 2018;Wincentak et al, 2017), and stalking violence (e.g., abusive control over the partner through unwanted and intrusive following or surveillance; Chugh & Guggisberg, 2022). DV can also take place through information and communication technologies (TICs).…”

A review and future avenues for psychological ownership in consumer research

“…In the case of partner abuse, the feeling of ownership of one partner over another can result in constant monitoring and various forms of abuse. Those who engage in stalking behavior have a strong sense of ownership over another person (Chugh & Guggisberg, 2022). When does ownership result in responsibility and care, and when does it result in neglect and abuse?…”

An Examination of Location-Based Real-Time Dating Application Infrastructure, Profile Features, and Cybervictimization

“…Relatedly, the disclosure of additional personal information by users (such as linked social media accounts or email addresses) has been found to exacerbate this risk (Reyns et al, 2011). For example, platforms such as Instagram and Twitter encourage users to "geo-tag" (i.e., publishing the locations of their content) in their posts, providing their physical location to would-be offenders (Chugh & Guggisberg, 2020). Cyberharassment is frequently discussed in tandem with cyberstalking, as it is a form of cybervictimization where an individual engages "in an act or behavior that torments, annoys, terrorizes, offends, or threatens an individual" (Hazelwood & Koon-Magnin, 2013, p. 157), although instances of harassment do not necessarily have to occur more than once, resulting in isolated incidents.…”