International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

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 Volume 10, Issue 11 (November 2023), Pages: 151-164

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 Original Research Paper

The impact of cybercrime on students' social relationships amid COVID-19: A Ha'il University study

 Author(s): 

 Mervat G. Shamrokh 1, 2, *, Ahmed A. Ahmed 1, 3, A. Hamza 4, Takwa S. Bekhit 1, 5, Safaa A. Farghly 1, 6, Kusum Yadav 7

 Affiliation(s):

 1Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts, University of Ha’il, Ha’il, Saudi Arabia
 2Department of Working with Communities and Organizations, Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt
 3Department of Working with Individuals and Families, Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt
 4Department of Social Planning, Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt
 5Sociology Department, Faculty of Arts, Assuit University, Assuit, Egypt
 6Department of Working with Groups, Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt
 7College of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Ha’il, Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

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 * Corresponding Author. 

  Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8795-9550

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2023.11.019

 Abstract

This study examines the profound impact of cybercrime on the social dynamics of students at Ha'il University in Saudi Arabia during the tumultuous period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a carefully crafted and validated questionnaire and data collected from 110 participants, the study reveals nuanced shifts in relationships involving peers, instructors, and especially family members. The importance of understanding these shifts is underscored by the global increase in cyber activity during lockdowns. The findings reveal a pronounced and disturbing impact of cybercrime on family ties. Although the overall gender-based findings were mostly the same, female students showed a higher level of awareness in family-centered situations. This suggests that there are deeper implications for this group and points to the subtleties in society that may be influencing these views. In response to these troubling findings, the study presents a comprehensive set of recommendations. These include raising awareness of cybercrime among students and the wider community, pushing for the introduction of holistic policies and regulations against such crimes, and the essential embedding of cybercrime education within academic curricula. It also emphasizes the paramount need for robust support structures for victims, underscoring the importance of a holistic approach to combating the threat of cybercrime. The implementation of these strategies aims not only to curate a safer digital landscape but also to mitigate the ever-increasing detrimental effects of cybercrime on interpersonal relationships. The robust sample size coupled with meticulous methodology enhances the credibility and applicability of these findings, making this study a central reference point for future research efforts, policy formulation, educational strategies, and community outreach programs in an increasingly digital age.

 © 2023 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

 Cybercrimes, Social relationships, University students, COVID-19 pandemic, University of Ha'il

 Article history

 Received 12 June 2023, Received in revised form 10 October 2023, Accepted 3 November 2023

 Acknowledgment 

This research has been funded by the Scientific Research Deanship at the University of Ha'il-Saudi Arabia through project number RG -20 198.

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Shamrokh MG, Ahmed AA, Hamza A, Bekhit TS, Farghly SA, and Yadav K (2023). The impact of cybercrime on students' social relationships amid COVID-19: A Ha'il University study. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 10(11): 151-164

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 Tables

 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 Table 8 

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