Cyber Dating Violence: patterns of prevalence and risk factors in a sample of Italian adolescents
Abstract Cyber Dating Violence (CDV) is a growing concern in the digital age, posing significant risks to adolescents’ well-being. However, more research needs to be conducted on the phenomenon, especially within the context of Italian youth. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring CDV’s preva...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05372-z |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849766572152848384 |
|---|---|
| author | Anna Sorrentino Annarosa Cipriano Margherita Santamato Stefania Cella |
| author_facet | Anna Sorrentino Annarosa Cipriano Margherita Santamato Stefania Cella |
| author_sort | Anna Sorrentino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Cyber Dating Violence (CDV) is a growing concern in the digital age, posing significant risks to adolescents’ well-being. However, more research needs to be conducted on the phenomenon, especially within the context of Italian youth. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring CDV’s prevalence and risk factors among an Italian sample of adolescents. One-hundred ninety-five high school students (36.4% female), with a mean age of 15.06 (SD = 1.24, range = 13–18), completed questionnaires measuring CDV, empathy, emotion regulation difficulties, school bullying, cyberbullying, and attitudes towards violence. More than 65% of students reported being victims of CDV, while about 64% have perpetrated such behaviors. Regression analyses showed that empathic affective dissonance, justification for female and peer aggression predicted CDV perpetration (F (11) = 5.798, p < 0.001). Instead, CDV victimization was predicted by justification for female aggression and cybervictimization (F (11) = 4.963, p < 0.001). Furthermore, significant gender differences emerged concerning patterns of risk factors for CDV perpetration and victimization. Although we cannot generalize our findings to all Italian adolescents, our results further the understanding of CDV by providing evidence of a high prevalence rate among adolescents and identifying risk factors. CDV prevention research should explore interventions that address dissonant emotional empathy, attitudes toward violence, and violent behaviors. Our results enhance the understanding of CDV, stressing the need for early identification and targeted prevention programs that address and manage risk factors for CDV. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-27816178f24e4b0691c31ea46acfb477 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-27816178f24e4b0691c31ea46acfb4772025-08-20T03:04:31ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-07-0112111110.1057/s41599-025-05372-zCyber Dating Violence: patterns of prevalence and risk factors in a sample of Italian adolescentsAnna Sorrentino0Annarosa Cipriano1Margherita Santamato2Stefania Cella3Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Observatory on Eating Disorders, Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Observatory on Eating Disorders, Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Abstract Cyber Dating Violence (CDV) is a growing concern in the digital age, posing significant risks to adolescents’ well-being. However, more research needs to be conducted on the phenomenon, especially within the context of Italian youth. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring CDV’s prevalence and risk factors among an Italian sample of adolescents. One-hundred ninety-five high school students (36.4% female), with a mean age of 15.06 (SD = 1.24, range = 13–18), completed questionnaires measuring CDV, empathy, emotion regulation difficulties, school bullying, cyberbullying, and attitudes towards violence. More than 65% of students reported being victims of CDV, while about 64% have perpetrated such behaviors. Regression analyses showed that empathic affective dissonance, justification for female and peer aggression predicted CDV perpetration (F (11) = 5.798, p < 0.001). Instead, CDV victimization was predicted by justification for female aggression and cybervictimization (F (11) = 4.963, p < 0.001). Furthermore, significant gender differences emerged concerning patterns of risk factors for CDV perpetration and victimization. Although we cannot generalize our findings to all Italian adolescents, our results further the understanding of CDV by providing evidence of a high prevalence rate among adolescents and identifying risk factors. CDV prevention research should explore interventions that address dissonant emotional empathy, attitudes toward violence, and violent behaviors. Our results enhance the understanding of CDV, stressing the need for early identification and targeted prevention programs that address and manage risk factors for CDV.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05372-z |
| spellingShingle | Anna Sorrentino Annarosa Cipriano Margherita Santamato Stefania Cella Cyber Dating Violence: patterns of prevalence and risk factors in a sample of Italian adolescents Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Cyber Dating Violence: patterns of prevalence and risk factors in a sample of Italian adolescents |
| title_full | Cyber Dating Violence: patterns of prevalence and risk factors in a sample of Italian adolescents |
| title_fullStr | Cyber Dating Violence: patterns of prevalence and risk factors in a sample of Italian adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cyber Dating Violence: patterns of prevalence and risk factors in a sample of Italian adolescents |
| title_short | Cyber Dating Violence: patterns of prevalence and risk factors in a sample of Italian adolescents |
| title_sort | cyber dating violence patterns of prevalence and risk factors in a sample of italian adolescents |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05372-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annasorrentino cyberdatingviolencepatternsofprevalenceandriskfactorsinasampleofitalianadolescents AT annarosacipriano cyberdatingviolencepatternsofprevalenceandriskfactorsinasampleofitalianadolescents AT margheritasantamato cyberdatingviolencepatternsofprevalenceandriskfactorsinasampleofitalianadolescents AT stefaniacella cyberdatingviolencepatternsofprevalenceandriskfactorsinasampleofitalianadolescents |