From Digital Well-Being to Online Victimization: New Frontiers in Cyberpsychology

Digital technologies have become deeply embedded in everyday life, shaping the way individuals communicate, form relationships, access information, seek psychological support, and engage with society. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of digital technologies in mental health care, including online counseling and psychotherapy, has increased substantially, highlighting new opportunities for promoting psychological well-being and expanding access to care. At the same time, digital environments expose users to a range of risks, including cyberbullying, cybercrime, online victimization, technology-facilitated violence, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate content. These phenomena have significant implications for mental health, interpersonal relationships, and legal systems. As digital interactions continue to evolve, there is a growing need for interdisciplinary research examining risk and protective factors, prevention strategies, resilience processes, and evidence-based interventions. Cyberpsychology offers a valuable framework for understanding the complex interplay between technology, health, behavior, and online harm.The rapid expansion of digital technologies has created both unprecedented opportunities for psychological well-being and significant challenges related to online risk and harm. Although research in cyberpsychology has grown considerably in recent years, important gaps remain in understanding the complex relationships among digital well-being, online interventions, cybercrime, cyberbullying, technology-facilitated violence, and online victimization. Increasing evidence suggests that experiences such as cybercrime, cyberstalking, online harassment, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate content may lead to significant psychological consequences, including anxiety, depression, shame, social withdrawal, loss of trust, and trauma-related symptoms. Furthermore, the prevalence, perception, regulation, and impact of these phenomena may vary substantially across countries due to cultural, social, legal, and technological differences.This Research Topic aims to advance knowledge on both the beneficial and harmful aspects of digital environments by bringing together interdisciplinary contributions from health, clinical, social, forensic, and legal psychology. Particular attention will be devoted to identifying risk and protective factors, evaluating prevention and intervention strategies, examining the effectiveness of online psychological services, investigating the psychological and traumatic consequences of online victimization, and exploring cross-cultural and cross-national differences. Recent advances in digital mental health, online psychotherapy, artificial intelligence, and technology-mediated prevention programs offer valuable opportunities to promote psychological well-being while addressing emerging forms of online harm. By integrating evidence from diverse contexts and populations, this Research Topic seeks to inform research, practice, and policy in the evolving digital landscape.This Research Topic welcomes contributions that explore the psychological, social, health, forensic, and legal dimensions of digital technologies and online behavior. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, digital well-being, online counseling and psychotherapy, digital resilience, cyberbullying, cybercrime, online victimization, technology-facilitated violence, non-consensual intimate image sharing, online harassment, risk and protective factors, prevention programs, and cross-cultural or cross-national perspectives on online experiences and outcomes.We encourage the submission of theoretical, empirical, methodological, and review articles employing quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, or innovative research approaches. Contributions addressing assessment tools, intervention models, prevention strategies, and evidence-based practices are particularly welcome. We are especially interested in manuscripts that advance the identification, understanding, prevention, and management of psychological distress, maladaptive behaviors, and online harms, while also promoting effective interventions and policies aimed at fostering digital well-being and safer online environments. Topic editors: Valeria Saladino, Tommaso Trombetta Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82381/from-digital-well-being-to-online-victimization-new-frontiers-in-cyberpsychology