Duerksen K, Woodin E. (2019). Technological intimate partner violence: Technological intimate partner violence: Exploring technology-related perpetration factors and overlap with in-person intimate partner violence. Computers in Human Behavior. 98: 223–231. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2019.05.001
Researchers recruited 278 eligible Canadian students (i.e. in a current romantic relationship for at least 3 months, unmarried, did not cohabitate) aged 17-25 years from the undergraduate psychology program to participate in a pilot evaluation of how technology (e.g. social media, text messaging) and in-person intimate partner violence (IPV) predict technological IPV (tIPV) e.g. cyberstalking, technology-facilitated sexual violence and psychological abuse. Participants completed an anonymous online survey that encompassed questions on perpetration of tIPV, in-person IPV, sexual coercion and assault, stalking, demographics, frequency of 50 forms of technology use (e.g. text messaging, social networking) and self-rated technological disinhibition (dissociation-induced impulsive, unrestrained online behavior). Study data revealed almost all participants had perpetrated IPV (90%), most through both technological and in-person violence (68%), some through in-person IPV only (12%), others through technology only (10%). For female participants, researchers found positive correlations between technology use and tIPV, technological disinhibition and tIPV, and all forms of in-person IPV and tIPV, while for male participants (who averaged higher rates of technology use and sexual IPV perpetration than female participants), researchers observed only one significant, positive correlation between in-person IPV perpetration and tIPV. Technological disinhibition, social media use, in-person psychological IPV perpetration, sexual IPV perpetration, and stalking all emerged as significant, unique predictors of tIPV. Researchers contend that the significant correlation and possible exacerbation between tIPV and in-person IPV merit further research.