Results from a nationally representative sample of young men 18-35 in the U.S. indicate that technology-facilitated abuse is common, with 38% of young men surveyed indicating that they either delivered, received, or both delivered and received technology-facilitated abuse in the last year. The majority of young men who reported experiences with technology-facilitated abuse both delivered and received abuse, highlighting the complexity of identifying and responding to technology-facilitated abuse among men. This pattern is similar to patterns seen in non-technology-facilitated abuse male intimate partner violence. Furthermore, the study found that men who reported ever having mental health care visits, those who owned smartphones and those who self-reported substance misuse were more likely to both deliver and receive technology-facilitated abuse. Depression, education level and employment status were not found to correlate with technology-facilitated abuse.
With increased focus on screening for intimate partner violence in primary and emergency care settings, the authors argue for the expansion of intimate partner violence screening questions among male patients in the clinical setting to include technology-facilitated abuse. Providers can consider adapting intimate partner violence screening tools that have been validated among women, including the Partner Violence Screen and Index of Spousal Abuse, for assessment of intimate partner violence and technology-facilitated abuse among male patients.
Technology-Facilitated Abuse Prevalence and Associations Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Young Men
Laura Seewald, MD, et al
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
https://www.annfammed.org/content/20/1/12
The Annals of Family Medicine