Alison Marganski
Professor, Le Moyne College
Key Findings
- 73% of the study participants reported having experienced some form of intimate partner cyber aggression victimization.
- Intimate partner cyber aggression is a reliable predictor of intimate partner in-person victimization.
- Threatening and harassing behavior that begins and escalates online is likely to continue when the partners are in close physical proximity.
Description
In the article, “Intimate Partner Violence Victimization in the Cyber and Real World: Examining the Extent of Cyber Aggression Experiences and Its Association With In-Person Dating Violence,” Marganski and her coauthor explore the extent of cyber aggression victimization in intimate relationships and how this aggression affects in-person experiences of psychological, physical, and sexual partner violence. The authors collected data from 540 college students who reported being in a dating relationship in the past 12 months. Participants were asked to report instances of intimate partner victimization in differing social contexts (through socially interactive technology and in face-to-face encounters). The results of the study indicate that intimate partner cyber aggression victimization is not uncommon, as nearly three quarters of respondents reported having experienced some form of it in the past year. The study also indicates that such aggression is likely to occur alongside in-person psychological, physical, and sexual partner violence victimization experiences.