Economic Impacts of Technology-Facilitated Abuse Among U.S. Young Adults

Technology-facilitated abuse (TFA) can result in long-term financial and mental health impacts on survivors. However, little research has been published to date about the types of costs and the economic burden that survivors of TFA experience. This study presents results from a U.S. nationally representative sample of young adults aged 18 to 35 on financial cost experienced as a result of TFA, including findings of healthcare utilization and associated healthcare costs. Respondents who reported experiencing one or more forms of TFA were asked about the lifetime health and economic impacts of the TFA. Nearly one in five TFA survivors (18.2%) reported experiencing an economic cost from the TFA, with a median total cost of $900 USD. There was a significant difference in the likelihood of reporting a financial cost among TFA survivors by race/ethnicity, TFA exposure, average use of online sites/apps, and the number of sites/apps used. Financial fraud, technology, and housing costs were the most common types of cost reported. More than 1 in 10 survivors (11.3%) reported receiving mental health counseling related to the TFA, with a per-person total cost estimate of $6,228 USD from mental health counseling. A similar proportion (11.6%) of TFA survivors reported taking one or more prescribed medications to manage the impact of the TFA, with an average duration of 37.4 weeks of use. Older age, identifying as non-Hispanic Black/African American or Hispanic/Latino/a/x, identifying as a sexual or gender minority, and greater TFA severity were associated with higher financial cost reported. Findings present novel information on the economic and psychological harms associated with TFA and indicate the importance of access to mental health and financial support services for TFA survivors.