Online stalking on Instagram

Social media influencers may be a particularly vulnerable population when it comes to online stalking. This study is the first to investigate how prevalent stalking victimization is in this population and what patterns of stalking behavior they may experience. I recruited Instagram influencers to complete an online survey of their experiences related to stalking. The social media influencers reported a higher prevalence of stalking than was reported in stalking prevalence surveys of community residents. Reported stalking rates in the social media influencers were similar to those experienced by other public figures such as media personalities and politicians. The results detail the diversity of stalking behaviors experienced by this population and how these behaviors manifest online and offline.