Traditional intimate partner violence and cyber dating abuse among gay, lesbian, and heterosexual individuals. The role of minority stress, alcohol use and jealousy

Abstract

This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence and predictors of traditional intimate partner violence (IPV) and cyber dating abuse (CDA) among gay and lesbian (GL) individuals and heterosexual individuals in Romania. A sample of N = 315 participants (62.5% women, 37.5% men) aged 18 to 58 (M = 27.24, SD = 9.13) was recruited online via LGBT specific groups (for GL individuals) and from general social groups (for heterosexual sexual orientation individuals), mostly from Romania’s large cities (Bucharest, Cluj, Iasi). The study aimed to explore the association between minority stress, alcohol use and jealousy with IPV and CDA. Binary logistic regression results indicate that behavioral (for gay men and heterosexual women) and cognitive jealousy (for lesbian women and heterosexual men) are significant predictors of CDA. However, no significant association emerged between minority stress, alcohol consumption, and jealousy on IPV and CDA perpetration. These findings enhance understanding of specific behaviors that adversely affect the well-being of GL individuals within romantic contexts. The study underscore the need for profesional interventions that focus on emotional regulation and healty online behavior, particularly for GL individuals who may face some diferent stresors in a post-comunist society like Romania. Practitioners should focus on strenghtening coping strategy, comunity support and psychological flexibility of GL client to help them reduce the effect of social and contextual factors on their well-being. These findings higlight the need for improve public education and awarness campaigns regarding sexual minority issues