Examining the perceived harms of digital dating abuse:a university sample

Abstract

ABSTRACT Digital dating abuse (DDA) is a form of intimate partner violence facilitated through technology that has high prevalence rates, especially among young adults. There is a lack of consensus among researchers as to what behaviours constitute DDA, and little is known about young adult perceptions of DDA behaviours. A survey given to 354 university students asked: (1) how harmful they believed 16 DDA behaviours to be; and (2) if they had ever perpetrated or been victimized by each of the behaviours. On average, participants rated DDA behaviours as very or extremely harmful. Women and gender diverse individuals rated pressuring partners into sexual acts, pressuring partners to send sexual material, and receiving unsolicited sexual material as significantly more harmful than men. While most behaviours were perceived similarly across age groupings, monitoring behaviours appear to be perceived as less harmful by younger students. The majority of participants rated one monitoring behaviour as only somewhat harmful or lower. This study suggests a general awareness of the harms of DDA among university students, that gender may impact victimization and perception of harm, and that certain monitoring behaviours may not constitute DDA. This study advances understanding of perceptions of DDA among Canadian university students.