Social networking initially appears to be a safe way for young people to get to know someone — or even merely chat with a stranger — while keeping that person at arm's length. Unfortunately, being out of physical reach does not mean one is free from all danger.
Internet harassment or unwanted sexual solicitation — called "technology-based coercive behavior (TBC)" — is an emerging public health problem. TBC can inflict psychological and emotional stress in victims and generate real-world negative effects (e.g., drug or alcohol use, deteriorating relationships with parents).
Thompson and Morrison (2013, Psychology of Violence) set out to see if it is possible to predict who is likely to perpetrate TBC. They collected four waves of data over 4 years from 795 male college students to compare intrapersonal, individual, social, and community variables with these students' online behaviors.
About one fifth of the men in the sample self-reported engaging in TBC. Further, a multivariate linear regression model revealed that rape-supportive beliefs, peer approval of forced sex, number of sexual partners, exposure to pornography, and participation in student government were risk factors accounting for TBC.
Thompson and Morrison suggested that technology interventions may help to prevent TBC. Such interventions could be risk profiles or algorithms that identify potential perpetrators within online social networks and target them with personalized ads and messages describing and promoting healthy social and romantic relationships.
Thereby, the networks that used to be a source of victims could be appropriated to discourage the victimizers.
Citation:
Thompson, M. P., & Morrison, D. J. (2013). Prospective predictors of technology-based sexual coercion by college males.
Psychology of Violence, 3,
233–246. doi:
10.1037/a0030904
Note: This article is in the Social Psychology & Social Processes topic area. View more articles in the Social Psychology & Social Processes topic area.