Cyber Dating Violence and Cyber Problematic Pornography Use during Adolescence: The Moderating Role of the Triangular Love Scale Dimensions.

Introduction. Cyber dating violence (CDV) represents a pervasive problem among adoles-cents. CDV has been defined as a kind of control, harassment, threats, stalking, and abuse perpetrated within a dating relationship via new communication technologies. Some recent studies have underlined that pornography consumption and CDV perpetration are correlat-ed among youth in the presence of specific risk factors. In order to expand the preliminary evidence on the topic, this study investigated the moderating role of couple context variables using the Sternberg's Triangular Love Scale dimensions (i.e., commitment, passion, and inti-macy) in the relationship between cyber problematic pornography use (CPPU) and CDV perpetration. Methods. The Cyber Pornography Use Inventory, the Cyber Dating Violence Inventory, and the Sternberg's Triangular Love Scale were completed by 188 Italian adolescents who were currently in a dating relationship (Mage = 16.53 years; SDage = 1.29; age range = 14-18 years; Female = 68.1 %). Results. Moderation regression analyses results indicated that CPPU was not positively related to CDV perpetration. However, the relationship between CPPU and CDV perpetra-tion was found to be moderated by passion, B = .64, SE = .11; p < .001, and commitment, B = .50, SE = .07; p < .001, but not by intimacy, B = .01, SE = .06; p = .09. Specifically, the slope analyses indicated that the relationship between CPPU and CDV was positive and signifi-cant at high levels of passion, and negative and significant at low levels of passion. On the other hand, the relationship between CPPU and CDV was negative and significant at high levels of commitment, and positive and significant at low levels of commitment. At moderate levels of both commitment and passion, the relationship between CPPU and CDV is not sig-nificant. Discussion. Results demonstrate that CPPU is not a predictor of CDV perpetration per se, but the relationship between CPPU and CDV becomes significant only in the presence of specific risk couple factors (high passion and low commitment in the dating relationship). The present study suggested that effective prevention programs to contrast CDV should primarily focus on enhancing couple positive and healthy dynamics since adolescence.