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Psychology and Law
2026. Vol. 16, no. 1, 17–32
doi:10.17759/psylaw.2026160102
ISSN: 2222-5196 (online)

Socio-psychological features of adult behavior on the internet in a situation of cyber aggression

 
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Abstract

Context and relevance. The insufficient level of development of information literacy and positive online culture among adults and young people makes them the most vulnerable to the dangers and threats of destructive behavior on the Internet. Objective. To explore the socio-psychological characteristics of adult behavior in a cyberaggression situation. Hypothesis. The direction of cyberaggression among adults on the Internet is determined by their behavioral patterns. Methods and materials. Using R.I. Zekeryaev's author's questionnaires "Direction of Behavior in the Internet Space" and "Studying the Influence of Attitudes on the Choice of Role Positions and Behavioral Strategies," as well as D. Álvarez-García's Cyberaggression Questionnaire (adapted by A.A. Sharov), the study obtained data on internet activity habits and experiences of online aggression. The study involved 91 women aged 21 and older 48. The average age of the participants was 32.37 years. Results. The results of the study demonstrate the high prevalence of aggressive content in the online space, regardless of age. The respondents of the first group (97.78%) witnessed aggressive behavior on the Internet, which is comparable to the results of the second group (93.48%). Among the respondents of the first group, 55.56% indicated that they had been subjected to aggressive behavior or insults on the Internet, while this figure was 36.96% among the second group. It is noteworthy that 63.04% of the participants in group 2 did not encounter such behavior, which is significantly higher than the same indicator in group 1 (44.44%). Conclusions. The differences in the manifestations of cyber aggression on the Internet in two groups were revealed. Group 1 is more likely to demonstrate impulsive forms of cyber aggression: impulsively proactive and impulsively responsive. Group 2 members demonstrate a higher prevalence of proactive and reactive cyberaggression. The results offer practical value for psychological counseling, prevention efforts, and educational outreach targeting the adult population and parents.

General Information

Keywords: cyber aggression, social conditions, impulsive forms of aggression, conflict interactions, hostility, arbitrary response

Journal rubric: Methodological Problems of Legal Psychology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/psylaw.2026160102

Received 26.05.2025

Revised 02.07.2025

Accepted

Published

For citation: Kozlova, A.B., Shulga, T.I., Dvoryanchikova, K.N., Gurina, O.D. (2026). Socio-psychological features of adult behavior on the internet in a situation of cyber aggression. Psychology and Law, 16(1), 17–32. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17759/psylaw.2026160102

© Kozlova A.B., Shulga T.I., Dvoryanchikova K.N., Gurina O.D., 2026

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

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Information About the Authors

Alina B. Kozlova, PhD Student, Department of Social & Political Psychology, State University of Education, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4164-2701, e-mail: Lina-lazurnaya@mail.ru

Tatyana I. Shulga, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Professor of the Department of Social and Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Psychology, Moscow State Regional University, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3584-6087, e-mail: shulgatatiana@gmail.com

Ksenia N. Dvoryanchikova, Student, Chair of Clinical and Forensic Psychology, Faculty of Legal Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9765-1957, e-mail: dvorianick@gmail.com

Oksana D. Gurina, Candidate of Science (Psychology), Main Expert, Moscow Research Center, Associate Professor, Department of Legal Psychology and Law, Faculty of Legal Psyсhology, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4369-5450, e-mail: godgur@yandex.ru

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