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Prevalence and Correlates of the Perpetration of Cyber Dating Abuse among Early Adolescents

  • Empirical Research
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Abstract

Much is known about the prevalence and correlates of dating violence, especially the perpetration of physical dating violence, among older adolescents. However, relatively little is known about the prevalence and correlates of the perpetration of cyber dating abuse, particularly among early adolescents. In this study, using a predominantly ethnic-minority sample of sixth graders who reported ever having had a boyfriend/girlfriend (n = 424, 44.2 % female), almost 15 % reported perpetrating cyber dating abuse at least once during their lifetime. Furthermore, using a cross-sectional design, across multiple levels of the socio-ecological model, the individual-level factors of (a) norms for violence for boys against girls, (b) having a current boyfriend/girlfriend, and (c) participation in bullying perpetration were correlates of the perpetration of cyber dating abuse. Collectively, the findings suggest that dating violence interventions targeting these particular correlates in early adolescents are warranted. Future studies are needed to establish causation and to further investigate the relative importance of correlates of the perpetration of cyber dating abuse among early adolescents that have been reported among older adolescents.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Lionel Santibáñez for his editorial assistance.

Authors’ Contributions

MFP conceived the study, participated in the design and implementation of the project, participated in interpretation of data, and drafted the manuscript. CMM, RS, and JRT participated in the design of the study and assisted with development of measures. ERB and RCA performed statistical analyses and data management, respectively. BH and PC participated in the implementation of the study. EKG helped to draft the manuscript. MT coordinated the study. STE participated in the design of the project. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1R01CE002135). Registration at ClinicalTrials.gov is forthcoming.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Melissa F. Peskin, Christine M. Markham, Ross Shegog, Elizabeth R. Baumler, Robert C. Addy, Belinda Hernandez, Paula Cuccaro, Efrat K. Gabay, Melanie Thiel & Susan Tortolero Emery

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Health, Galveston, TX, USA

    Jeff R. Temple

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  1. Melissa F. Peskin
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  2. Christine M. Markham
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Correspondence to Melissa F. Peskin.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Peskin, M.F., Markham, C.M., Shegog, R. et al. Prevalence and Correlates of the Perpetration of Cyber Dating Abuse among Early Adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 46, 358–375 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0568-1

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