Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Program Name/Specialization

Social Psychology

Faculty/School

Faculty of Science

First Advisor

Nancy Kocovski

Advisor Role

Co-Supervisor

Second Advisor

Frank Kachanoff

Advisor Role

Co-Supervisor

Abstract

Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) has become a prevalent form of violence recently due to the ubiquity of social media and the advancement of technology. One attempt has been made to measure TFSV victimization (TFSV-V; Powell & Henry, 2019). However, we have identified several limitations in the TFSV-V, including variability in the specificity of items, items confounding in-person experiences, items that are ambiguously worded, and the omission of critical TFSV experiences. As such, Study 1 aimed to address the limitations in the TFSV-V by revising the current measure and validating a new 18-item measure, the TFSV-Revised. Scale development methods were also used in Study 1, including an item reduction analysis and factor analyses. Study 2 built on validity testing from Study 1 while exploring TFSV conceptually, in terms of the sources of violence and both psychological and behavioural responses to experiences of TFSV. Results of the present research support both the original TFSV-V and the TFSV-Revised as valid measures of TFSV victimization, but the TFSV-Revised has the benefit of being more comprehensive. Quantitative comparisons between the original TFSV-V and the TFSV-Revised in Study 2 support that the revised scale addressed limitations identified in the original TFSV-V. Study 2 qualitative results also showed what the sources of TFSV were perceived to be, including how perpetrators were encountered and environments in which the experience occurred. Additional exploratory analyses in Study 2 revealed novel insights into how victims respond to experiences of TFSV in terms of threat evaluation, psychological distress, and behavioural response. The present research builds on work by Powell and Henry (2019), supporting the goal of providing reliable prevalence rates and furthering our conceptual understanding of the nature and impacts of TFSV.

Convocation Year

2025

Convocation Season

Fall

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