Electronic dating violence among teens

Gizmodo recently wrote a post about electronics and violence from the results of a survey conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center.

The Cyberbullying Research Center is interested in better understanding and promoting the concept of “electronic dating violence.” They define it as “emotional or psychological harm in a romantic relationship perpetrated through the use of computers, cell phones, or other electronic devices.”You can find more information between electronic dating and cyberbullying here.

In 2010, this group randomly sampled 4,400 students in the southern United States between the ages 11-18 about electronic dating violence.

VICTIMIZATION

• 10% of youth said a romantic partner has prevented them from using a computer or cell phone.
• 6% of boys and girls say their romantic partner posted something publicly online to make fun of, threaten, or embarrass them.
• 10.4% of boys and 9.8% of girls said they received a threatening cell phone message from their romantic partner.
• 5.4% of boys and 3.4% of girls said their romantic partner uploaded or shared a humiliating of harassing picture of them online or through their cell phone

OFFENDING

• 7% of youth admitted that they prevented their romantic partner from using a computer or cell phone.
• 6% of boys and 4% of girls say they posted something publicly online to make fun of, threaten, or embarrass their romantic partner.
• About 7% of youth said they sent a threatening cell phone message to their romantic partner.
• 5% of boys and 3% of girls said they uploaded or shared a humiliating of harassing picture of their romantic partner online or through their cell phone.

RELATIONSHIPS

• Victims of traditional (offline) dating violence are significantly more likely to be victims of electronic forms of dating violence (r=.75) than those who have not experienced offline bullying
• Those who admit to engaging in traditional dating violence also report engaging in electronic forms of dating violence (r=.77)
• Victims of dating violence (r=.51) and specifically electronic forms of dating violence (r=.64) are significantly more likely to also be victims of cyberbullying
• Youth who are cyberbullied are 3.6 times as likely to experience electronic teen dating violence
• Youth who admit to engaging in dating violence (r=.52) and specifically electronic forms of dating violence (r=.65) also admit to engaging in cyberbullying
• Youth who share their passwords with their significant other are nearly three times as likely to be victims of electronic dating violence
• All forms of dating violence increase as youth get older

Click here to view the chart on the Men’s Anti-Violence Council post.