Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-5-2021
Publication Title
Social Science Computer Review
Volume
40
Issue
4
First Page
974
Last Page
993
Abstract
As technology advances, new opportunities for partners to gain power and control in their romantic relationships are readily available. New cyber-based behaviors have slowly garnered scholarly attention, but measurement-related issues have not. We take the logical next steps to (1) develop and validate a comprehensive measure of intimate partner cyber abuse (IPCA) for adults using classical test theory and item response theory and (2) estimate IPCA prevalence rate for a range of relationship types. A sample of 1,500 adults, currently in an intimate partner relationship, 18 years or older, and living in the United States, completed an online questionnaire about their IPCA experiences within the 6 months prior. Two parameter logistic modeling and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a five-dimensional structure: cyber direct aggression, cyber sexual coercion, cyber financial control, cyber control, and cyber monitoring, with 14.85% of the sample experiencing at least one dimension. These IPCA dimensions were examined for differential functioning across gender identity, race, student status, and relationship type. Collectively, the findings have implications for IPCA measurement and related research, including theoretically derived hypotheses whose findings can inform prevention.
Recommended Citation
Fissel, E. R., Graham, A. A., Butler, L. C., & Fisher, B. S. (2021). A new frontier: The development and validation of an intimate partner cyber abuse scale. Social Science Computer Review., 40(4), 974-993. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439321994618
Comments
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Sage in Social Science Computer Review on March 5, 2021, available online: https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439321994618
Reuse restricted to noncommercial and no derivative uses.