The problem of students’ social adaptation to modern pace and style of life, norms and rules that are imposed by the society, as well as the increased relevance of victim behavior prevention in young people on the Internet determine the crucial necessity to study psychological characteristics, factors and mechanisms of victim behavior manifestation in modern youth. The article presents the results of a comprehensive theoretical and empirical analysis of psychological characteristics, factors and mechanisms of students’ victim behavior on the Internet in Kazan Federal University (Russia) and Vyatka State Humanities University (Russia). The following concepts are considered: "victimization", "victim", "victim behavior of students". The conclusions are based on the fact that it is in the period of youth that a change in the level of victimhood can lead to students’ social disadaptation, which is manifested in a conformal, sacrificial, unconscious, careless behavior, inability to create their own behavioral strategies and take responsibility for their actions. Differential psychology approach was applied to analyze personal characteristics of students manifesting victim behavior. The paper states the need to clarify the factors determining the victim behavior of a person in adolescence and to develop special prevention and correction programs that will contribute to the formation of viability and selectivity of life-critical attitudes, the ability to choose flexible and effective safe behavior strategies in difficult life situations.

victimization, victim behavior, the Internet, disadaptation, characteristic features, students