Searching for the roots of cyber dating abuse in young adulthood: investigating the links with early maladaptive schemas and adverse childhood experiences

The increasing role that new technologies play in intimate relationships has led to the emergence of cyber dating abuse (CDA), a new form of couple violence which consists of using mobile phones and social networks to control the partner, limit his/her freedom, mock, denigrate, threaten and force him/her to perform or suffer unwanted sexual acts. Although it has received only limited attention from psychological research, CDA is worthy of interest, because, due to its wide diffusion in both sexes and its deleterious effects, it is configuring itself as a new social alarm, especially among adolescents and young adults. Literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) predictors attests that living stressful and traumatic experiences during childhood and adolescence (Adverse Childhood Experiences, ACEs) increases the risk of engaging in couple relationships characterized by violence (Atmaca & Gencoz, 2016; Nikulina et al., 2017). Early maladaptive schemas (i.e., dysfunctional emotional and cognitive structures, internalized on the basis of childhood and adolescence relational experiences with caregivers, that people use to develop and maintain relationships) seem to exert a mediating role in the relationship between ACEs and IPV. In fact, subjects who endorse maladaptive schemas belonging to the domains “Detachment and Rejection, “Lack of rules” and “Excessive attention to the needs of others” are more likely to act and suffer IPV (Gay et al., 2013; Ramos et al., 2017). Despite CDA has been proved to be correlated with IPV, little research has investigated whether the above predictors of offline violence play a similar role in CDA. Moreover, no study has tried to address this question by taking into account the interdependence of the two partners, considered in the dual role of possible perpetrators and victims of cyber violence. Consequently, this research aimed to examine whether ACEs predict both perpetrated and suffered CDA through the mediation of early maladaptive schemas. Because of partner interdependence, early maladaptive schemas were expected to predict CDA both within and across partners. Two studies were realized for this purpose on young adults aging 18-30 and recruited via Facebook. Study 1, conducted on 263 subjects, evidenced that ACEs and CDA were related within subjects mainly through the mediation of the “Detachment and Rejection” schema domain, which describes subjects unable to build lasting, safe and rewarding relationships due to their belief that others will not be able to meet their needs for security, care and acceptance. Study 2, which analyzed data provided by 135 non-cohabitant couples using APIM models (Kenny et al., 2006), found that the “Detachment and Rejection” schema domain play a significant mediational role even after controlling for the partner’s maladaptive schemas, thereby supporting the existence of actor effects. Even though weaker, partner effects reflecting the influence of the partner’s “Detachment and Rejection” schema domain on the subject’s perpetrated and suffered CDA were also found. Consequently, early maladaptive schemas resulted to mediate the links between ACEs and CDA both within and across partners. Results will be discussed in terms of the need to consider early maladaptive schemas when planning interventions for decreasing CDA.