College Students' Coercive Sexting and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration in Shorter- and Longer-Term Relationships

This study examines the moderating role of relationship length on the association between coercive sexting and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Research has supported a positive association between coercive sexting and IPV perpetration (Drouin et al., 2015), though no prior research has examined how relationship length moderates this association. To test this relationship, we administered a multipart questionnaire online to 798 undergraduate participants (79% White, 77% female, M_Age = 19.1 years) currently in a relationship. We assessed physical, psychological, and sexual IPV perpetration. Relationship length moderated the link between coercive sexting and sexual IPV perpetration. More specifically, the association was stronger in longer-term compared to shorter-term relationships. These results carry implications for future research and IPV education and intervention programs, suggesting that they should incorporate coercive sexting into their curriculums and target newer couples.