MENU

The Digital Abuse Study: Experience of Digital Sexual Abuse

The Experience of Digital Abuse measure uses 3 questions from the MTV and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Digital Abuse Survey. It assesses if young people (ages 14-24) have been the victim or perpetrator of different forms of digital sexual abuse (e.g., sharing or receiving nude photos or videos) and who else was involved in the situation if anyone.

Categories

Geographies Tested: United States of America

Populations Included: Female, Male

Age Range: Adolescents, Adults

Items:

1. For each of the following, please say whether this has ever happened to you personally, or not.

  • Someone I know sent me messages with sexual words by text message or on the Internet
  • Someone sent me on my cell phone or on the Internet, naked pictures or videos of themselves
  • Someone I know showed me naked pictures of someone else we know, even though that person didn’t say they could share them
  • I used my cell phone or the Internet to send naked pictures of myself to someone else
  • Was pressured by someone to send them naked pictures or videos of myself
  • Someone sent me on my cell phone or on the Internet, naked pictures or videos of someone else that I know personally
  • Participated in a webcam chat during which someone else performed sexual activities
  • Someone I know showed me a video of someone else we know performing sexual activities, even though that person didn’t say they could share it
  • Someone sent me on my cell phone or on the Internet a video of someone else I know personally performing sexual activities
  • I posted naked pictures or videos of myself on a website or social networking site
  • Someone took photos or videos of myself in a sexual situation that I was not aware were taken and shared them with others
  • I posted naked pictures or videos on a website or social networking site of someone else I know personally

Response Options:*
This has happened to me
This has not happened to me

2. If posted or sent naked pictures of self: To whom did you send naked pictures of yourself? Check all that apply.

Response Options:*
My boyfriend or girlfriend
Someone I dated or hooked up with
A good friend
My husband, wife, or significant other
Someone I wasn’t to date or hook up with
Someone I only knew online and had never met in person
Someone I had a crush on
Someone I just met
Someone I know, not a good friend

3. If posted or sent naked pictures of self: As far as you know, did the person you shared the naked pictures you took of yourself share the pictures with anybody else without your permission, or don’t you think they did that?

Response Options:*
They shared them with someone else
I don’t think they shared them with anyone else
Not sure

* Numeric codes for the Response Options above were not provided in the original report.

Scoring Procedures

Not Applicable

Original Citation

Tompson, T., Benz, J. & Agiesta, J. (2013). The digital abuse study: Experiences of teens and young adults. https://apnorc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/AP-NORC-Center-and-MTV_Digital-Abuse-Study_FINAL.pdf


Psychometric Score

Ease of Use Score

Scoring breakdown

Formative Research

Qualitative Research

Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework

Field Expert Input

Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing

Reliability

Internal

Test-retest

Interrater

Validity

Content

Face

Criterion (gold-standard)

Construct

KEY

Ease of Use

Readability

Scoring Clarity

Length

Join the EMERGE Community

to get the latest updates on new measures and guidance for survey researchers