Socio-digital and contextual variables associated with Cyber Dating Abuse in adolescents: A systematic review
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Objective. This study synthesizes recent evidence on socio-digital and contextual variables associated with Cyber Dating Abuse (CDA) in adolescents under 18 years of age, with a specific focus on digital control and perceived social support. Methods. The systematic review includes quantitative studies published between 2020 and 2025. The study selects research including adolescents under 18 years (or with a mean age below 18) that assess CDA and at least one socio-digital or contextual variable using validated instruments. Searches take place on 8–9 November 2025 in Elsevier, PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, ProQuest and SciELO. The review assesses the risk of bias of the included studies and performs a narrative synthesis structured by type of variable. Results. The review includes twelve studies comprising a combined sample of 14,674 school-attending adolescents from Western contexts. Results show consistent associations between CDA and digital control and monitoring, online coercion and direct aggression, sexting, and intensive smartphone and social media use. The joint synthesis identifies digital control as a central axis articulating multiple socio-digital risk behaviors. Among contextual factors, perceived social support is associated with lower levels of CDA in both victimization and perpetration, even when other variables are considered. Additional associations are observed with emotion regulation, empathy, anxious attachment, prior bullying, sexist beliefs, romantic love myths and parental monitoring.
Author: Lamarca Belanche, Lola
Language: Spanish
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7160975662