Electronic aggression among adolescent dating partners: Demographic correlates and associations with academic performance and other types of violence

Little research has examined electronic aggression (e.g., using a cell phone, e-mail, or MySpace to threaten, insult, spread rumors, or harass) among adolescent dating partners. This study examines the associations between electronic aggression and 1) demographic indicators, 2) school grades, and 3) peer aggression and dating violence (psychological abuse, physical violence, sexual violence, and stalking). This study included 4163 9th graders who reported having ever been on a date from 43 schools in 11 states. The sample was 54.4% female, 40.3% White, 21.8% Black, and 17.3% Latino. Data were collected in schools using a self-administered paper-and pencil survey. Measures included lifetime incidence of victimization and perpetration of each dating violence behavior and physical fighting with a non-dating partner, sex, race/ethnicity, mother's education, and self-reported past semester grades in school. Multivariate logistic regression analyses accounting for school-level clustering indicated that electronic aggression victimization was positively associated with being female; higher levels of mother's education; better grades in school; physical victimization and perpetration; and psychological, sexual, and stalking victimization. Electronic aggression perpetration was associated with being female, better grades in school, peer aggression, and all other forms of dating violence victimization and perpetration. The presentation will focus on discussion of the findings, highlighting areas where electronic aggression is associated with other types of aggression, as well as implications for future prevention, evaluation, and research efforts.