The role of dominance, cyber aggression perpetration, and gender on emerging adults' perpetration of intimate partner violence.

Abstract

Objective: This study explored how cyber aggression perpetration moderates the relationship between dominance and emerging adults' perpetration of psychological and physical intimate partner violence (IPV) using couple data. Method: The Dating Relationships Survey was administered online to emerging adult dating couples (n = 148 couples). Both partners answered the same questions about control, violence, and cyber aggression in their relationships after agreeing to an honor code that stated they would complete the survey separately. Results: Actor-partner interdependence models showed that dominance and cyber aggression have significant actor effects, but the effects are different for men's and women's psychological and physical IPV perpetration. The models also revealed significant partner effects. Contrary to the hypothesis, women's cyber aggression reduced the relationship between women's dominance and physical IPV perpetration for their boyfriends. Conclusions: Electronic communication plays an important role in mitigating physical IPV perpetration for men. As such, dating violence prevention programs should educate couples about healthy expression of emotions in an online environment to reduce the use of cyber aggression and physical IPV in romantic relationships.