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In a large and diverse sample of U. S. adults, we assessed participants’ experience with pre-COVID in-person intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and with sextortion victimization during COVID to better understand the relationship between these phenomena. Experiencing sexual IPV pre-COVID increased the likelihood that men and women would experience sextortion during COVID. Men, Black and Native women, LGBTQ individuals, and emerging adults more often experienced sextortion during COVID than other groups. Implications for research on technology-facilitated sexual violence and practice with survivors are explored.
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This content will become publicly available on January 29, 2026
Using Routine Activity Theory to Predict Technology- Facilitated Violence Among U.S. Adults During COVID-19
Using routine activity theory (RAT), the present study investigated predictors of two types of technology-facilitated violence: cyber obsessional pursuit victimization (COPV) and Cyber Aggression in Relationships Scale (CARS), during COVID-19 among a sample of U.S. adults ( N = 2,975). Results revealed that target attractiveness in terms of gender, age, and racial/ethnic background predicted both intimate (CARS) and nonintimate (COPV) cyber violence. For target exposure, technology use and the perceived ability to protect one's privacy predicted both types of cyber violence. Previous experience of in-person intimate partner violence explained the largest amount of variance in both types of technology-facilitated violence victimization.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2035686
- PAR ID:
- 10568907
- Publisher / Repository:
- SAGE Publications
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Violence Against Women
- ISSN:
- 1077-8012
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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