Citation

Hernando-Gómez, Montero-Fernández D, García-Rojas AD, Olvera FJDR. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024; 21(7).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph21070926

PMID

39063502

PMCID

PMC11276874

Abstract

This research studies the prevalence of digital violence exercised through new information and communication technology (ICT) among university couples. A comparative study was carried out in England, United Kingdom, and in Spain with 831 participants. A quantitative methodology was applied with different sampling: in the United Kingdom, 303 (M(Age) = 22.79; SD; 47.32; 58.7% male) and in Spain, 528 (M(Age) = 24.29; SD = 21.41; 69.5% female). An ad hoc questionnaire was used, created for the detection, measurement and analysis of digital violence within affective-sexual relationships. The results reveal proportions of 51.04% and 49.82% in the perception of digital violence through electronic devices in dating relationships among young people; 15.84% and 11.05% in the prevalence of digital violence in young couples' relationships; 9.36% and 6.17% in the prevalence of traditional violence; and 35.78% and 22.43% in the tolerance of digital violence among students, for the English and Spanish samples, respectively. The results also show a slightly lower prevalence of digital violence in the Spanish sample with respect to the English sample, where females scored slightly higher in the perpetration of digital violence. There is a need to develop awareness, training and prevention programs against digital violence in the university context.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Adult; Female; Male; Universities; Adolescent; England/epidemiology; social networks; Young Adult; Prevalence; university students; Surveys and Questionnaires; *Students/psychology/statistics & numerical data; cyberstalking; digital violence; information and communication technology; Spain/epidemiology; Violence/statistics & numerical data