Cyber Dating Abuse Among Teens Using School-Based Health Centers

• NCJ Number: 248852
• Journal: Pediatrics Volume: 134 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2014 Pages: e1560-e1567
• Date Published: December 2014
• Author(s): Rebecca N. Dick; Heather L. McCauley; Kelly A. Jones; Daniel J. Tancredi; Sandi Goldstein; Samantha Blackburn; Erica Monasterio; Lisa James; Jay G. Silverman; Elizabeth Miller
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2011-MU-MU-0023
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Survey

Annotation

This study estimated the prevalence of cyber dating abuse among youth aged 14 to 19 years seeking care at school-based health centers and associations with other forms of adolescent relationship abuse (ARA), sexual violence, and reproductive and sexual health indicators.

Abstract

A cross-sectional survey was conducted during the 2012-2013 school year (participant n = 1008). Associations between cyber dating abuse and study outcomes were assessed via logistic regression models for clustered survey data. Past 3-month cyber dating abuse was reported by 41.4 percent of this clinic-based sample. More female than male participants reported cyber dating abuse victimization (44.6 percent vs 31.0 percent). Compared with no exposure, low- ("a few times") and high-frequency ("once or twice a month" or more) cyber dating abuse were significantly associated with physical or sexual ARA (low: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.8, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] 1.8-4.4; high: aOR 5.4, 95 percent CI 4.0-7.5) and nonpartner sexual assault (low: aOR 2.7, 95 percent CI 1.3-5.5; high: aOR 4.1, 95 percent CI 2.8-5.9). Analysis with female participants found an association between cyber dating abuse exposure and contraceptive nonuse (low: aOR 1.8, 95 percent CI 1.2-2.7; high: aOR 4.1, 95 percent CI 2.0-8.4) and reproductive coercion (low: aOR 3.0, 95 percent CI 1.4-6.2; high: aOR 5.7, 95 percent CI 2.8-11.6). (Publisher abstract modified)