Electronic Dating Violence in Adolescence: Trajectories, Implications for Depressive Symptoms and Delinquency, and Identifying Events and Behaviors that are Most Predictive of EDV Engagement
Thulin, Elyse
2022
Abstract
Electronic dating violence (EDV) is a prevalent problem during adolescence, but little is known about trajectories across time, implications of EDV on depressive symptoms or delinquent behaviors, or what specific events or behaviors are most predictive of EDV. The work presented in this dissertation aims to fill those gaps. In my first dissertation paper, I found that risk of EDV generally increases, the rate of increase varies across adolescence, with rapid increase occurring in mid-adolescence. I found that both risk (e.g., threat-based adverse childhood experiences) and protective factors (parental monitoring, social support) predicted the average starting point (intercept), rate of increase (slope), and inflection points (quadratic term), though differences existed by age. These findings could inform intervention work particularly during mid-adolescence, when risk of EDV is highest. In my second dissertation paper, I found that specific domains of EDV have longitudinal effects on depressive and delinquent behaviors with differential effects by age and gender (e.g., older females are more likely to report depressive symptoms). In particular, electronic coercion was predictive of both depressive symptoms and delinquency, electronic monitoring was only predictive of delinquency, and electronic harassment was not directly predictive of either depressive symptoms or delinquency. The implications of these findings stress the need for interventions to reduce EDV engagement, and potential prevention efforts to avoid the negative effects that EDV has on depressive symptoms and delinquent behaviors. Finally, in my third empirical paper, I evaluated a broad set of known (e.g., alcohol use) and more subtle risk factors (e.g., behaviors that are highly normative and can be innocuous or risky depending on the circumstance) during adolescent development to understand what individual events or behaviors are most predictive of each domain of EDV. Deprivation-based adverse childhood experiences and greater use of technology for interpersonal communication were predictive of multiple domains of EDV. However, many of the predictors were predictive of only one domain further emphasizing the distinct nature of each domain of EDV. These findings have several broader implications. First, finding several predictors across multiple domains of EDV provides an opportunity for the future development of a screener for any domain of EDV. Secondly, that many of the unique predictors were more subtle forms of risk that become highly normative during adolescence is an opportunity to develop preventative programs that address both obviously risky behaviors (like the use of physical violence in dating relationships) as well as behaviors that are more subtle and could potentially be leveraged by preventative programming to be used in ways that promote healthy interpersonal interactions within youth dating relationships. The findings of the present dissertation provide both novel information and opportunities for future screening, intervention and prevention efforts.Deep Blue DOI
Subjects
cyber dating abuse electronic dating violence adolescent development
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