The PSIDES research group at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) is studying online dating violence among young couples to develop better prevention strategies.
They surveyed 341 students aged 17 to 24 about their experiences with offline and online violence. The results confirmed their hypothesis: online partner violence follows different patterns than offline violence. The types of behavior, the psychological profiles of perpetrators and victims, and the figures themselves were distinct.
Violent relationships
In face-to-face relationships, 80.4% of students admitted to acting violently towards their partners, compared to 55% online. Regarding victimization, 73.3% said they had been victims offline, while 51.6% reported being victims online.
“Violence in young couples is more common offline, but both types are troubling,” the researchers said. They added that the actual numbers might be higher because people often underreport in surveys.
Different types of violence were found in each context. In face-to-face interactions, verbal and emotional aggression, such as insults and jealousy, were most common. Online, controlling behavior was the main form of aggression, such as demanding geolocation data or explanations for unresponded messages.
Lack of awareness
“Many young people don’t see controlling behavior as violence. They don’t realize it can escalate into more serious violence,” the researchers said.
Although less frequent, physical violence was still significant, with 11% of students admitting to using it at some point.
The study also found differences in the psychological profiles of those involved in intimate partner violence. Victims of offline violence often had low self-esteem, which was less common among victims of online violence. The researchers suggested that the more brutal nature of face-to-face violence might explain this.
Victims of online violence had more trouble with emotional regulation. “Compared to offline victims, they struggle more with stopping negative emotions and sustaining positive ones. This may be because cyber-violence can happen anytime and anywhere, making it harder to escape,” the researchers concluded.
