Unveiling the traumatic impact of cyber dating abuse and offline intimate partner violence: exploring the mediating role of adult attachment

Abstract

Abstract Cyber Dating Abuse (CDA) corresponds to a traumatic experience involving controlling and harassing behavior by a partner through modern technologies. This study aimed to assess the frequency of CDA, explore its connection to offline violence (specifically Intimate Partner Violence—IPV), and investigate attachment's mediating role in the relationship between various violence forms (cyber and offline) and trauma symptoms. Two groups were recruited for the study: one comprising 342 individuals who reported encountering offline IPV within the previous year and another group of 334 individuals who did not have such experiences. Both groups exhibited CDA, with the IPV-experienced group showing statistically significant higher prevalence. This supports literature indicating a relationship between online and offline violence. Additionally, attachment anxiety mediated CDA controlling, offline IPV, and subsequent PTSD symptoms, while attachment avoidance mediated only between offline IPV and PTSD symptoms. The findings seemed to validate the importance of acknowledging attachment as a mediator for PTSD, both in clinical practice and research.