Intimate Partner Cyberstalking Among Young Adults: Associations with Attachment and Social Support

Intimate partner cyberstalking (IPC) is an understudied public health problem that often occurs among young adults. There is limited research examining psychosocial constructs related to IPC. The purpose of this study was to test associations among attachment (anxiety and avoidance), social support (from family, friends, and a special person), and IPC victimization and perpetration reported by young adults. A sample of 469 Amazon Mechanical Turk workers (ages 18–25) completed a survey online. As attachment anxiety increased among participants, they were more likely to engage in IPC perpetration. As attachment avoidance increased, they were more likely to experience IPC victimization. They were less likely to engage in perpetration when social support from family, friends, and a special person increased. Additionally, they were less likely to experience victimization when social support from friends and a special person increased. The results inform the development of IPC prevention programs and policies that intend to address the attachment needs of victims and perpetrators and increase social support activities among individuals in romantic relationships.