Cyber dating abuse among early adolescents: Towards a comprehensive understanding of monitoring behaviors and sexting under pressure.

The electronic delivery of both psychological and sexual forms of dating violence is called cyber dating abuse. Psychological forms of cyber dating abuse include monitoring the romantic partner through digital media (e.g., accessing accounts without permission), whereas sexual forms include mainly sexting under pressure. To date, little scholarly attention has been paid to cyber dating abuse in early adolescents' romantic relationships. Research among this age group is essential as teenagers who experiment with sexual behaviors, or initiate their first romantic relationships during this developmental period, are often at high risk of abuse. This project aims to gain a deeper understanding of the context in which cyber dating abuse takes place among early adolescents, using a qualitative as well as a quantitative approach.