FEMICIDE NEWS AS DIGITAL TRAUMA EXPOSURE: PREDICTORS OF SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS AMONG SOCIAL MEDIA USERS

Date

2026-9-7

Author

Avcı, Beyza İlayda

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This mixed-methods study examined the psychological consequences of exposure to femicide-related content on social media by integrating quantitative and qualitative findings. The study investigated whether exposure to femicide-related content was associated with femicide-induced secondary traumatic stress (F-STS) and explored the psychological variables associated with this relationship. 283 university students completed measures of Femicide-Induced STS, Femicide-Induced Disrupted Core. Beliefs (F-CB), Basic Empathy Scale, Ruminative Response Scale, and Ambivalent Sexism Inventory. Quantitative data were analyzed using mediation analysis, hierarchical regression, and nonlinear regression analyses. Qualitative data consisted of responses to open-ended questions and were analyzed using inductive content analysis. The findings showed that exposure to femicide-related content on social media was associated with F-STS and significant indirect associations were observed through hostile sexism, F-CB and affective empathy. F-CB emerged as the strongest predictor of F-STS for both women and men. Among women, F-CB, affective empathy, andiv rumination positively predicted F-STS, whereas cognitive empathy was a negative predictor. Among men, in addition to F-CB, hostile sexism and cognitive empathy were identified as negative predictors of F-STS. Furthermore, exploratory analyses indicated small convex cross-sectional associations between the exposure to femicide and F-STS and F-CB. The qualitative findings supported the quantitative results by indicating that participants were emotionally affected by femicide-related content and believed that such content could both increase awareness and contribute to desensitization. Overall, the findings indicated that exposure to femicide-related content alone was insufficient to explain F-STS; as individual cognitive and emotional characteristics also appeared to play a role.

Subject Keywords

Femicide, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Social Media Exposure

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/120706

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis