The DOI matches its Crossref record; 2 of the 2 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Adolescent Roles and Reactions to Online Sexual Harassment: Insights from a Croatian deSHAME Study
Open accessAbstract
Background. This study examines the behavioral responses of adolescents to online sexual harassment based on their roles as victims, perpetrators, both, or neutral participants. Methods. Data from a national sample of Croatian high school students (N = 2016) were used to investigate the influence of these roles on reaction patterns. This study explores coping strategies among students involved in online sexual harassment as victims, perpetrators, or both. Results. Students with dual roles rarely sought help from parents, teachers, or helplines, while perpetrators avoided confiding in friends or siblings. Conversely, uninvolved students were most likely to seek support from these sources. Victims often confided in friends and responded by blocking, confronting, deleting content, or avoiding the harasser. Dual-role students commonly mirrored the harassment they experienced, suggesting a cycle of retaliation and blurred victim–perpetrator boundaries. Interestingly, no significant role-based differences were found for passive responses like ignoring harassment or reporting on social media platforms. Conclusion. These results underline the critical need for targeted interventions to foster digital resilience and tailor support mechanisms based on adolescents’ experiences and roles in online interactions. This research contributes to the understanding of role-specific behavioral dynamics in the digital sphere, offering actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and mental health professionals to enhance online safety and support systems for youth.
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“A negative attitude toward suspicious online interactions is significantly associated with preventive actions, such as blocking perpetrators, refusing invitations, or reporting to adults (Ramljak et al., 2025).”
From Surfing Online Safety: Assertiveness and Parental Involvement in Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Cyber Grooming (2025) · cites this paper as Ramljak et al., 2025
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Hanifah, R., & Wigati, M. (2025) · Bulletin of Counseling and Psychotherapy · doi:10.51214/002025071584000 · Cited by 2
Metadata
- Authors
- Ramljak, T., Vejmelka, L., & Matković, R.
- Affiliations
- Center for Missing and Exploited Children Croatia, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
- University of Zagreb (HR)
- Mental Health Department, Public Health Institute of Split Damatia County, 21000 Split, Croatia
- Corresponding author
- Vejmelka, Lucija
- Venue
- Psychology International
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2025-03-14
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 26
- ISSN
- 2813-9844 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4408458258
- Cited by
- 6
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3
- FWCI
- 10.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychology International (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Croatian safer internet Center
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Harassment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Keywords
- online sexual harassment, adolescents, coping strategies, help-seeking, retaliation, digital resilience, online safety, high school students, Croatian adolescents
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