A systematic review of literature on cyber intimate partner victimization in adolescent girls and women

Highlights

• Prevalence rates of cyber IPV vary greatly from <1% to 78%.

• There are different direct and indirect forms of cyber IPV: stalking and control, harassment, and sexual violence.

• Being a woman, traditional IPV, and feeling psychologically distress are factors associated with cyber IPV victimization.

• Few studies have explored potential protective factors.

• Results underscore the necessity for the development of concerted definition and measure of cyber IPV.

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV), and dating violence are major health issues, causing negative health outcomes, and in some cases, ending in homicides. In a lifetime, nearly one out of two individuals will have reported being victimized by a current or a former partner, with higher victimization rates in women. The development of communication technologies, and infatuation for online social networks created new tools to stalk, harass, and pressure current or former partners. Until now, major discrepancies have been noted in the literature regarding prevalence rates for cyber IPV. Risk factors of victimization remain unknown, making intervention targets hazardous. To address these limitations, this systematic review used a mixed-method approach to gather available data on adolescent girls and women cyber IPV victimization. Complementary perspectives will be offered by quantitative and qualitative publications. On the 1036 screened studies, 32 were retained, which resulted in a final sample of N = 13, 143. Analysis of qualitative studies resulted in a typology for cyber IPV, identifying forms of direct and indirect victimization in women (stalking and control, harassment, sexual). Quantitative results showed that prevalence rates varied from <1% to 78% across studies, and that only a few correlates of victimization have been examined, with limited information on possible protective factors. To orient prevention effort, it is urgent to identify women who present a higher risk of victimization with population-based studies relying on longitudinal designs.

Introduction

The emergence of technology in the last decade has facilitated human communication. However, these tools may also provide new opportunities for some individuals to exert control on others. It is easier, now than ever, to stalk, collect information, as well as harass someone in multiple contexts. Intimate relationships are no exception. Technology has transformed the ways in which psychological and sexual violence can be perpetrated in intimate relationships. Violence can now be instantaneous, beyond physical limits, and reach a broad social network with minimal effort, having a faster and greater impact on different spheres of the victim's life (Hinduja & Patchin, 2011). For example, cyber IPV victimization is associated with more anxiety and psychological distress (Lindsay et al., 2016, Reed et al., 2017). This form of IPV is sustained by 6–91% of the adult population, depending on definition of cyber IPV and behaviors included in the questionnaires used in the study (Brown & Hegarty, 2018). Youths under the age of 25 (King-Ries, 2011), especially women, are particularly at risk of cyber intimate partner violence (IPV) by a current or former partner (Bates, 2015). High cyber IPV rates have also been observed among youth recruited in university settings (Fisher, Cullen, & Turner, 2002). However, because of multiple definitions and measures used for cyber IPV, prevalence rates differed widely across studies. A recent literature review on cyber IPV measurements reported that 17 different terms and 22 different measures were used by scholars in the field of cyber IPV in studies published between 1990 and 2016 (Brown & Hegarty, 2018).

Gaps between prevalence rates and definitions prevent public health agencies from developing programs adapted to the victims and their characteristics. Without clear scientific knowledge about the individuals that are most likely to be victimized, it is difficult to implement prevention programs that target potential victims, and implement intervention programs that meet the needs of the current victims. There is an urge to summarize available scientific information in order to propose recommendations to practitioners and social health services. The purpose of this review is to offer an overview of the available scientific literature on cyber IPV victimization of women to inform researchers as well as practitioners, and to guide the development of prevention and intervention initiative aimed towards women. Since women are particularly vulnerable to violence (Chan, 2011, Sinha, 2013), it is crucial to understand how cyber IPV, as a new form of IPV, is used against women. It is also important to focus on the experience of adolescent girls since communication strategies and violent tactics of conflict resolution and control are developed in the first experiences of intimate relationship in adolescence (Connolly & McIsaac, 2009). Moreover, youths are the main users of internet and online social networks (Morning Consult, 2018), it is critical to document experiences of cyber IPV not only of women, but also adolescent girls in the context of intimate relationships.