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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -  Dating Violence Prevention 
            -           Electronic Aggression and Teen Dating Violence      

# Electronic Aggression and Teen Dating Violence

With technological innovations and increased access to technology, youth are more likely to own and use cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices than ever before. Increased access to technology has benefits, but it also increases the risk of abuse. There is growing concern about electronic aggression—or cyberbullying—defined as any type of harassment or bullying (teasing, telling lies, making fun of someone, making rude or mean comments, spreading rumors, or making threatening or aggressive comments) that occurs through e-mail, a chat room, instant messaging, a website (including blogs), text messaging, and videos or pictures posted on websites or sent through cell phones.1

Mirroring the increase in youth accessing and using technology, the number of youth between ages 10 and 17 in 2005 who indicated they had been involved in cyberbullying was twice the number who had reported involvement in 1999-2000.2 Estimates of the number of youth who have been victims of electronic aggression and cyberbullying vary from 9 to 43 percent, depending on the definition of electronic aggression/cyberbullying used and the time period that youth are reporting about.3

## Electronic Aggression and Teen Dating Violence

The relationship between electronic aggression and teen dating violence has not been widely explored. Initial information gathered from interviews with 56 young adults (aged 18 to 21) who experienced teen dating violence suggests that technology plays an important role in intimate relationships, providing a new space for perpetration of a range of teen dating violence behaviors and influencing the privacy, autonomy, and safety of youth in relationships.4

## Sexting

In addition, a number of surveys and heightened media concern has focused on sexting. Sexting is defined in a number of different ways, but is “most commonly used to describe the creation and transmission of sexual images by minors” through technologies such as cell phones and the Internet.5 While many of the studies looking at the prevalence rates of sexting have proved inconsistent and included major flaws and limitations,6 two 2011 studies provide context for the rates of certain forms of youth sexting and the relationship between youth sexting and arrests.

A 2011 national survey of youth, ages 10 to 17, found that:
                        - A total of 9.6 percent of youth reported they had appeared in, created, or received sexually explicit (e.g., showed naked breasts, genitals, or bottom) or nearly nude images (e.g., youth wearing underwear or bathing suits, sexy poses with clothes on, and pictures focused on clothed genitals).
                        - Further, 2.5 percent reported they had created or appeared in images, with 1.3 percent of those identified as sexually explicit; 7.1 percent reported only receiving images, with 5.9 percent of those images identified as sexually explicit.
                        - About a quarter of youth who appeared in or created images (21 percent) or received images (25 percent) reported feeling very or extremely embarrassed, afraid, or upset.
                        - Romance was the most commonly reported reason for being involved in sexting, though pranks and attempting to start a relationship were also reported.
                        - Only a small portion of youth reported that they forwarded images on that they created, appeared in, or received.

The study suggests that there is substantial variation in the rates of sexting based on how it is defined.7

A second study looking at arrest rates for sexting found that in cases of youth-produced sexual images (youth 17 and under) handled by law enforcement, there are often “aggravating” circumstances (e.g., adult involvement or a minor involved in malicious, non-consensual, or abusive behavior) beyond the creation of and dissemination of sexual images. Further, the study found that arrests are unlikely in sexting cases when adults are not involved.8

While the role that technology plays in teen dating violence is still in large part unclear, initial research findings suggest that technology can be used to facilitate teen dating violence, and may provide additional challenges for efforts to prevent and minimize teen dating violence.9

## References

1 Hertz & David-Ferdon, 20082 Wolak, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 20063 Hertz & David-Ferdon, 2008; National Crime Prevention Center, 20074 Draucker & Martsolf, 20105 Lounsbury, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2011, p. 16 Lounsbury et al., 20117 Mitchell, Finkelhor, Jones, & Wolak, 20118 Wolak, Finkelhor, & Mitchell, 20119 Offenhauer & Buchalter, 2011

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Agencies 

                          - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
                          - National Institute of Justice
                          - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
                          - Office of Violence Against Women

### Announcements 

                          - 2022 National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Recipients Announced
                          - Domestic Violence Awareness Month
                          - June is Internet Safety Month
                          - Justice Department Announces $21.72 Million to Reduce Sexual and Domestic Violence on Campus, Support Children and Youth, and Engage Men and Boys as Allies
                          - National Adolescent Health Month Resources
                          - Recent Event: New Research Awards Aim to Prevent Youth Violence, Sexual Violence, and Child Abuse and Neglect
                          - Report: Dating Violence Reported by High School Students in 2017
                          - Resource: Campus Safety Special Feature
                          - Resource: Considering Family Context as an Important Element in the Prevention and Intervention of the Development of Teen Dating Violence
                          - Resource: Fact Sheet on Stalking Among College Students
                          - Resource: Healthy Native Youth Stand-Alone Lessons
                          - Resource: Intersection of Human Trafficking, Youth Homelessness, Intimate Partner Violence, and Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Website
                          - Resource: Let's Talk Podcast - The Offical National Runaway Safeline Podcast
                          - Resource: Literature Review on Teen Dating Violence
                          - Resource: NCFY
                          - Resource: Preventing Intimate Partner Violence Across the Lifespan: A Technical Package of Programs, Policies, and Practices
                          - Resource: Runaway & Homeless Youth and Relationship Violence Toolkit
                          - Resource: Talking is Power: Tools for Parents
                          - Resource: Teen Dating Violence
                          - Resource: Teen Dating Violence Literature Review
                          - Resource: Tip Sheets on Everyday Parenting Topics
                          - Resource: Tips for Parents and Caregivers of Teens
                          - Resource: Trends in Youth Arrests for Violent Crimes
                          - Resource: What Has Longitudinal Research on Teen Dating Violence Taught Us?
                          - Resource: Youth Advisory Councils
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Data Sources 

                          - 2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report
                          - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

### Departments 

                          - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

### Feature Articles 

                          - Dating Matters: Understanding Teen Dating Violence Prevention
                          - February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - Justice Department Research Shows That School-Level Interventions Reduce Dating Violence by up to 50 Percent
                          - National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
                          - Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century
                          - Teen Dating Relationships: Opportunities for Youth to Define What's Healthy and Unhealthy
                          - Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
                          - Teen Dating Violence Prevention
                          - The Halls Web Series

### Hotlines 

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### Programs 

                          - Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB)
                          - Preventing Teen Dating Violence and Youth Violence Program
                          - Resource: DELTA FOCUS (Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancements and Leadership Through Alliances, Focusing on Outcomes for Communities United with States) Program

### Publications 

                          - Bullying, Sexual, and Dating Violence Trajectories From Early to Late Adolescence
                          - Cultivating Evaluation Capacity: A Guide for Programs Addressing Sexual and Domestic Violence
                          - Get Smart, Get Help, Get Safe
                          - How Can Youth Workers Recognize Teen Dating Abuse?
                          - Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2010
                          - New Report on Prevalence of Teen Dating Violence
                          - Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization — National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011
                          - Q&A: The CDC Takes a Comprehensive Approach to Teen Dating Violence Prevention
                          - Special Feature: Teen Dating Violence
                          - Technology, Teen Dating Violence and Abuse, and Bullying
                          - Teen Dating Violence: How Peers Can Affect Risk & Protective Factors
                          - What Works to Prevent Teen Dating Violence?

### Resources 

                          - Report: Family and Youth Services Bureau Highlights in 2014 & 2015
                          - Report: Impact of Domestic Violence Policies and Practices on Girls and Young Women
                          - Report: National Survey of Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence
                          - Report: Predicting Intimate Partner Violence for At-Risk Young Adults and Their Romantic Partners
                          - Research Roundup: What Do We Know About Hispanic Youth and Teen Dating Violence?
                          - Resource: Considering Family Context as an Important Element in the Prevention and Intervention of the Development of Teen Dating Violence
                          - Resource: Dating Matters Interactive Guide on Informing Policy
                          - Resource: Family-Based Approaches to Preventing Teen Dating Violence Research
                          - Resource: Preventing Intimate Partner Violence Across the Lifespan: A Technical Package of Programs, Policies, and Practices
                          - Share with Youth: StrongHearts Native Helpline

### Technical Assistance 

                          - Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere

### Tools & Guides 

                          - 3 Bold Steps for School Community Change
                          - Model Programs Guide
                          - Our Revolution
                          - Problem-Oriented Guides for Police
                          - Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Resources
                          - Updated Training: DATING MATTERS® — Understanding Teen Dating Violence Prevention

### Videos & Podcasts 

                          - 1 is 2 Many PSA
                          - 1 is 2 Many: Dating Violence PSA
                          - The Halls: Web Series

### Websites 

                          - Girls Health
                          - Teen Dating Violence
                          - Teen Dating Violence and Sexual Assault in Schools: Resources and a Call to Action

### Youth Topics 

                          - Dating Violence Prevention

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## Main navigation

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- Characteristics of Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships
- Prevalence
- Electronic Aggression
- Gender Considerations
- Risk Factors
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- Consequences
- Legal Responses
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Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Data Sources

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

### Feature Articles

Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

Justice Department Research Shows That School-Level Interventions Reduce Dating Violence by up to 50 Percent

### Publications

What Works to Prevent Teen Dating Violence?

Teen Dating Violence: How Peers Can Affect Risk & Protective Factors

Technology, Teen Dating Violence and Abuse, and Bullying

### Resources

Report: Predicting Intimate Partner Violence for At-Risk Young Adults and Their Romantic Partners

Resource: Considering Family Context as an Important Element in the Prevention and Intervention of the Development of Teen Dating Violence

Resource: Preventing Intimate Partner Violence Across the Lifespan: A Technical Package of Programs, Policies, and Practices

### Youth Topics

Dating Violence Prevention