A Critical Analysis of the Prevalence of Technology-Facilitated Abuse in US College Students

Abstract

The ubiquitous use of technology by college students makes them vulnerable to harassment, harm, and intimidation via technological means. We evaluate the prevalence of such technology-facilitated abuse (TFA) among college students in the USA using a critical, feminist, and trauma-informed lens, which is essential to inform policymakers and advocates who support students. We surveyed 776 college students in a large R1 university located in the Midwest region of the USA to examine the prevalence of TFA faced by stu- dents marginalized by socio-economic factors, the support sought by student survivors, and the efficacy of support structures. Our findings indicate that 70% students experience TFA, but more than half of them do not seek support. Among the survivors who seek support, 93% students solely rely on informal resources like friends and family, and 6% solely seek support from formal networks such as survivor services or law enforcement. Therefore, we call on policymakers to direct attention to TFA, create tailored interven- tions to support marginalized students and propose campus-wide campaigns to spread awareness among college students

Type
Publication
CHI Extended Abstract (LBW) 2024