ASU professor confronts a hidden global crisis: Digital intimate partner violence among teens – ASU News

Report on Digital Intimate Partner Violence Among Adolescents and Its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Introduction

According to the latest Pew Research survey, over 60% of American teenagers use TikTok and Instagram daily, while 55% use Snapchat. More than 10% of these adolescents report being on these apps constantly. However, this extensive engagement with digital platforms has led to concerning trends in adolescent romantic relationships, particularly digital intimate partner violence (IPV).

Prevalence and Nature of Digital Intimate Partner Violence

Research indicates that more than half of teens who interact with romantic partners through online apps experience harassment, monitoring, and coercion. These behaviors include nonstop messaging, location tracking, demands for passwords, and sharing private images without consent.

Expert Insights

Thao Ha, Associate Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University, emphasizes that these harmful behaviors occur during a critical developmental phase when adolescents learn how to love. She highlights that such digital abuses mirror in-person dating violence and are intensified by the constant presence of technology in teens’ lives.

Impact on Adolescent Well-being and Relation to SDGs

Significance of Teen Relationships

• Teen relationships significantly influence mental health and the development of emotional and relational skills.
• Negative online experiences can undermine these developmental processes.
• Ensuring safe digital environments aligns with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

Digital Intimate Partner Violence as a Public Health Concern

Digital IPV is a form of emotional harm that can precede or coincide with physical violence, making early detection and prevention critical. This issue directly relates to:

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality – addressing gender-based violence in digital spaces.
2. SDG 4: Quality Education – promoting education on healthy relationships and digital literacy.

Key Findings from the @HEART Lab Research

Understanding Digital Intimate Partner Violence

• Digital IPV involves technology used to pressure, monitor, or harm romantic partners.
• It is often dismissed as “normal teen drama,” yet it has serious emotional consequences.
• Teens often do not recognize these behaviors as harmful due to the blending of affection and control.

Challenges in Recognizing and Addressing Digital IPV

• Online behaviors such as location sharing and nonstop messaging can be misinterpreted as care.
• Technology blurs the line between care and control, complicating identification of abuse.
• Rapid victimization and retaliation online make it difficult to assign fault or intervene effectively.

Recommendations for Stakeholders

For Teenagers

• Recognize that pressure, monitoring, or humiliation online is harmful, not a sign of love.
• Understand that healthy relationships are based on safety, respect, and trust.
• Know they are not alone and that help is available.

For Parents and Adults

• Validate the reality and significance of teen relationships and digital harms.
• Recognize emotional safety online as equally important as physical safety.
• Provide guidance through open conversations and teaching relational skills such as empathy, communication, and privacy respect.

For Policymakers and Governments

• Develop digital safety policies tailored specifically for adolescents.
• Promote global, coordinated policies to address digital IPV across cultures and countries.
• Set minimum safety standards for youth in collaboration with educators and technology companies.
• Address emerging challenges posed by AI, deepfakes, and digital manipulation tools.

Future Directions and Advocacy

Research and Development

• Define digital intimate partner violence more clearly.
• Co-design prevention tools with adolescent input.
• Collaborate internationally to integrate relational well-being into digital governance.

Ultimate Goal

To create digital environments that support adolescents in learning to love safely, respectfully, and authentically, thereby contributing to the achievement of the following SDGs:

• SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
• SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities.
• SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
• SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.

Conclusion

Digital intimate partner violence among adolescents is a significant issue that intersects with multiple Sustainable Development Goals. Addressing this challenge requires a multi-stakeholder approach involving teens, families, educators, policymakers, and technology developers. Through research, education, policy reform, and advocacy, it is possible to foster digital spaces that nurture healthy relationships and emotional well-being for young people worldwide.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article discusses mental health impacts and emotional well-being of teenagers experiencing digital intimate partner violence.
2. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Focus on relational skill-building, empathy, communication, and respect for privacy as part of education for adolescents.
3. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Addressing intimate partner violence, including digital forms, which disproportionately affect young women and girls.
4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Need for policies and legal frameworks to protect adolescents from digital intimate partner violence and ensure safe digital environments.
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • Call for global, coordinated policies and collaboration among governments, educators, and technology companies.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and promote mental health and well-being.
   • Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including harmful use of alcohol (implied through mental health focus).
2. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Target 4.7: Ensure that all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including human rights, gender equality, and peaceful societies.
3. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels (implied through need for coordinated policies).
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Indicator on prevalence of digital intimate partner violence among adolescents
   • Percentage of teenagers reporting harassment, monitoring, coercion, or digital abuse in romantic relationships (implied from Pew Research survey data).
2. Indicators on mental health outcomes
   • Measures of emotional and relational well-being among adolescents experiencing digital abuse.
3. Indicators on education and skill-building
   • Number or percentage of adolescents receiving education on healthy relationships, digital safety, and relational skills.
4. Indicators on policy implementation and digital safety frameworks
   • Existence and enforcement of adolescent-specific digital safety policies and international coordination efforts.
5. Indicators on global partnerships
   • Number of countries and organizations collaborating on digital intimate partner violence prevention and adolescent protection.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: news.asu.edu