Emotion Regulation Difficulties Underpinning the Relationship Between Attachment Insecurity and Cyber-Based Intimate Partner Aggression Perpetration

Digital technologies facilitate relationship development while also providing a platform for cyber-based intimate partner aggression (CIPA). Participants (N = 308) completed measures of adult attachment, six discrete facets of emotion regulation difficulty, and psychological, sexual, and stalking CIPA perpetration. Attachment anxiety was positively associated with all three CIPA domains. Significant indirect associations were observed through difficulties with emotional clarity, impulse control, and goal-directed behavior, although the pattern differed across outcomes. Impulse control difficulties showed the most consistent indirect association between attachment anxiety and CIPA. These findings identify emotion regulation facets that warrant further longitudinal and intervention-based investigation.