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Extreme Psychology and Personal Safety
2025. Vol. 2, no. 4, 133–149
doi:10.17759/epps.2025020409
ISSN: 3034-3666 (online)

Personality traits as predictors of cybervictimization (a study of the correlation between the Big Five traits and cybervictim behavior)

 
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Abstract

Context and relevance. The rise of cybercrime, which has become a part of everyday life, poses a significant threat to society in the context of digitalization. Given current conditions, cybervictimization is expected to only increase in the future, and the psychosocial problems of cybervictimization may have negative consequences later in life. Objective: to conduct a theoretical analysis of research on personality traits that are associated with cybervictimization. Hypothesis. The key traits from the Big Five personality model (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience) differ in victims of cybercrime from victims of traditional crime. Results. 1. Low levels of conscientiousness and high levels of neuroticism and openness to experience are associated with the risk of cybervictimization. A comparison between victims of cybercrime and victims of traditional crime shows that low levels of neuroticism are more closely associated with a lower likelihood of becoming a victim of cybercrime than of traditional crime. 2. There are differences in the relationship between personality traits and victimization in different types of cybercrime. The relationship between neuroticism and openness to cyberbullying victimization was significant and positive, and neuroticism may also predict cyberbullying victimization. Conscientiousness indicators were significantly and negatively associated with online bullying victimization. Conclusions. The identified personality traits, as predictors of cyberbullying, can be used to predict cybercrime victimization, allowing for more effective preventive measures.

General Information

Keywords: cyber victimization, cybercrime, personality traits, Big Five, internet fraud, cyber bullying

Journal rubric: General Psychology and Psychology Safety of the Personality

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/epps.2025020409

Received 15.11.2025

Revised 20.11.2025

Accepted

Published

For citation: Камнева, E.V., Simonova, M.M. (2025). Personality traits as predictors of cybervictimization (a study of the correlation between the Big Five traits and cybervictim behavior). Extreme Psychology and Personal Safety, 2(4), 133–149. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17759/epps.2025020409

© Камнева E.V., Simonova M.M., 2025

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

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Information About the Authors

Elena V. Камнева, Candidate of Science (Psychology), Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Chair of Psychology and Human Capital Development, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6165-1339, e-mail: ekamneva@fa.ru

Margarita M. Simonova, Candidate of Science (Sociology), Associate Professor, associate professor of the department of psychology and human capital development, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2232-6920, e-mail: mmsimonova@fa.ru

Contribution of the authors

Elena V. Kamneva — idea, organization of research, writing an article.

Margarita M. Simonova — data collection, data processing.

Both authors participated in the discussion of the results and approved the final text of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethics statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Council of the Department of Psychology and Human Capital Development, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation (report No. 4, 2025/11/12).

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