Cyber Dating Violence: How Is It Perceived in Early Adolescence?

The findings suggest a significant gap in adolescents' understanding of what constitutes cyber dating violence. In contrast to direct aggression, which is easily identified, controlling behaviours are often normalised, indicating a need for educational and preventive measures to address this issue. By improving adolescents' understanding of controlling behaviours as a form of cyber dating violence, preventive efforts can be more effectively tailored to address and mitigate this problem. To prevent the normalisation of certain behaviours indicative of cyber dating violence, early education is recommended in areas such as healthy relationships, communication skills, respect for privacy, and recognition of signs of excessive control.