(PS5-A13) College Student Coping and Behavioral Responses to Cyber Dating Abuse Experiences

Cyber dating abuse (CDA) can be defined as using technology as a means to control, harass, or intimidate an intimate partner. CDA behaviors can include unwanted, repeated calls, texts, or location tracking and violations of privacy, and pressure to send nude or private pictures or videos. Existing research has explored the prevalence and correlates of CDA, but there is limited research on how individuals respond and what responses are helpful in stopping or reducing CDA behaviors. The current study explores ways individuals who have experienced CDA attempt to stop unwanted behaviors and navigate coping in the wake of CDA. This study employed a cross-sectional research design sampling undergraduate students at a public university (n=118). Students completed an online survey asking about their experiences in romantic relationships as well as other individual characteristics. Participants who indicated they had experienced CDA were asked to report if they used thirteen different behaviors in response to CDA (with an “other” response option) which were then categorized as assertive, passive, support seeking, and retaliation. After each endorsed response, participants reported how effective the response was in stopping the CDA behaviors from occurring. On average, participants reported using 5 different responses (M = 5.1; SD = 2.8). Assertive responses (e.g., Talked to the other person about your feelings or reactions to their behavior) were the most frequently used response type and seeking support were the least frequently used. Assertive responses were rated most helpful in reducing or stopping the CDA behaviors. Passive (e.g., Took time away from all technology) and support seeking (e.g., Talked to friends about it) responses were rated to have a neutral impact on CDA behaviors. Retaliation responses (e.g., Did something similar back to the other person) were rated as least helpful and most likely to make the CDA behavior worse. Additional analyses were conducted to explore psychosocial factors that may predict CDA responses, including mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), anxious and avoidant attachment style, and self-esteem. There was a significant positive relationship with retaliation response usage and both overall CDA perpetration and victimization scores, indicating that individuals who had experienced and enacted more CDA behaviors were significantly more likely to report retaliation response. Additionally, anxious, but not avoidant attachment style significantly positively predicted retaliation response usage. This indicates there are individual-level risk factors in response and coping behavior types. The findings from the current study highlight the potential dangers of retaliation responses and that individuals may often conceal their CDA experiences from others who could provide support and assistance. Implications for intervention and prevention will be discussed.