Police responses to young people’s experiences of cyberstalking

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• Tahreem Tahir, University of Central Lancashire
• Friday 31 January 2025, 14:00-15:00
• Webinar & FW11, Computer Laboratory, William Gates Building..

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Tina Marjanov.

In our digitally interconnected world, cyberstalking has become a significant concern for online users worldwide. Young people have embraced new technologies for communication, making social media apps such as Facebook, X, Instagram, Snapchat and other platforms an integral part of their lives for communicating with each other. Young people utilise digital spaces to create new connections and even initiate, sustain, and carry out part of their intimate relationships online. Consequently, technology has provided opportunities to facilitate online monitoring of others due to the proficiency and ease with which information can be obtained.

The rise of digital technologies has given perpetrators new avenues and opportunities to target victims resulting in a rise of cyberstalking. However, little work to date has explored young people’s perceptions and experiences of cyberstalking. With research consistently revealing very few cyberstalking victims choose to report their experiences to the police. There is notable research gap regarding young people’s reasons not to report cyberstalking incidents.

Guided by the power differentials between police officers and young people. This research examines police officers use of authority to regulate and influence behaviour of young people. This paper will explore some of the key issues identified in the literature review, including prevalence and variations of cyberstalking among young people, experiences and barriers to reporting to the police and other agencies. It draws on insights from interviews with young cyberstalking victims and frontline response police officers. Preliminary findings from the voices of young people indicate age bias among police officers, resulting in misguided advise on cyberstalking incidents, leading to escalated risk and lack of support. The perspectives and experiences of young people emphasise the importance of lasting changes in attitudes, policies and practices. By tackling these, the research aims to contribute to improved victims support, inform policy and refine practices within the cyberstalking sector.

This talk is part of the Computer Laboratory Security Seminar series.

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