Problem Drinking is Associated with Intimate Partner Cyber Abuse Perpetration but is Buffered by High Relationship Satisfaction.

Purpose: Intimate partner cyber abuse (IPCA) is a prevalent form of intimate partner violence (IPV) that has detrimental effects on victims' well-being. Although research has documented associations with other forms of IPV perpetration, additional research is needed to identify IPCA perpetration risk factors. One of the most common risk factors for offline IPV is perpetrators' alcohol use; however, less is known about how this translates to online contexts. There is also a need to identify protective factors that mitigate the effects of alcohol. Methods: This study evaluated associations between drinking, relationship satisfaction, and IPCA perpetration via self-report questionnaires within a longitudinal framework. Participants included 544 adults in an intimate relationship (n = 296 at T2). Results: Results indicated that relationship satisfaction buffered the effects of problem drinking on IPCA perpetration at T1, but not at T2. Further, 20.2% of individuals who perpetrated IPCA at T1 drank alcohol during at least one incident, and these individuals reported more problem drinking and more frequent IPCA perpetration compared to those who reported IPCA without alcohol. Conclusion: Results from this study provide insight into both risk and protective factors for IPCA perpetration among adults and have the potential to guide concurrent prevention strategies that target intersections between problem drinking, IPCA, and offline IPV, and promote healthy and satisfying intimate relationships.

The Reporting and Help-Seeking Behaviors of Cyberstalking Victims.

Crime victims are left with multiple decisions to make in an effort to cope with and recover from their experiences being criminally victimized. For example, victims must decide if they are going to report their victimization experience to law enforcement and/or if they are going to seek help from various resources, both informal and professional entities. Research on the reporting or help-seeking behaviors of cyberstalking victims is limited, but necessary to ensure that these victims are receiving the help they need. Using self-report survey data collected from a sample of 477 cyberstalking victims, this study sought to identify the characteristics of the cyberstalking victimization experience that are associated with the victim's decision to report the victimization to law enforcement, seek professional help, and seek informal help. Specifically, borrowing from Gottfredson and Gottfredson's theory of decision making, the current study explored how measures of offense seriousness and the victim-offender relationship are associated with cyberstalking victims' reporting and help-seeking behaviors. The findings revealed that cyberstalking victims who experienced more serious offenses had increased odds of engaging in reporting and both types of help-seeking behaviors. Furthermore, victims who were cyberstalked by their current intimate partner had greater odds of engaging in reporting and professional help-seeking behaviors. As this study is just one of many that are needed to gain a better understanding of the reporting and help-seeking behaviors of cyberstalking victims, directions for future research are provided.

Victim or Prostitute? The Classification of Commercial Sex Events Involving Minors in the National Incident-Based Reporting System.

Sex trafficking is recognized as a national problem that inflicts serious harm on its victims, yet, legislative responses to trafficking vary depending on jurisdiction. Federal legislation considers youths who engage in commercial sex acts as trafficking victims. States, however, vary in the evidence required to prove a juvenile is a victim of sex trafficking, as opposed to an offender of prostitution. Using four years of data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System, we compared details of commercial sex incidents involving youths who were identified as trafficking victims or arrested as prostitutes. Beyond legislative differences, comparisons between cases are discussed to illuminate how state law enforcement officials legally classify these events involving adolescents (i.e., as victims or prostitutes). Further, we consider the policy implications of the findings.

Recurring Online Victimization Among College Women: Risk Factors From Within the Hookup Culture.

Online crime and victimization are widespread, and cyber-criminologists have made significant progress in understanding the extent and nature of many forms of cybercrime. Recurring online victimization, however, has been comparatively unexplored. Using self-report survey data collected from 541 college women, the current study seeks to examine various forms of repeated online victimization, including unwanted sexual advances, harassment, and unsolicited contacts. Specifically, the current study explores how individual characteristics, situational factors, and behavioral routines are associated with repeat online victimization. The findings revealed that behavioral routines related to the hookup culture had the most explanatory power in understanding the repeat online victimization of college women. These findings provide guidance for prevention, policy, and research.