Dating App Facilitated Sexual Violence Perpetration among Men who Have Sex with Men

PROJECT SUMMARY Dating app facilitated sexual violence (DAFSV) includes sexually-based harms enacted through dating apps, such as sending unwanted explicit sexual images, making derogatory comments, or threatening unwanted sexual acts. Dating app users disproportionally experience in-person sexual violence (SV) which suggests that DAFSV may be an important pre-cursor to in-person SV. However, DAFSV perpetration risk and protective factors and intersections with in-person SV perpetration remain underexplored, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM use dating apps more than any other population in the US, are also 6 times more likely to experience in-person SV compared to heterosexual men, and report substantial barriers to help seeking. A robust predictor of in-person SV is alcohol use, yet alcohol’s role in DAFSV perpetration among MSM has not been examined. Thus, research is needed to understand associations between drinking patterns and DAFSV, as well as the role of alcohol use on DAFSV in the moment. It is also important to identify moderators that exacerbate (i.e., sexual minority stress) or protect against (e.g., LGB connectedness) alcohol’s potential effects. The proposed study will address gaps in the literature by using a mixed-methods design to examine associations between these factors among MSM. In Phase 1, we will recruit a national sample of MSM (N = 1150) ages 18- 50 with past 3-month dating app use for a cross-sectional survey with timeline follow-back (TLFB) to assess DAFSV perpetration, alcohol use, sexual minority stress and protective factors, and in-person SV perpetration. In Phase 2, we will conduct in-depth qualitative interviews with 60 MSM from Phase 1 who report DAFSV perpetration and alcohol use to understand contexts in which DAFSV occurs, with the goal of identifying potential ways to prevent DAFSV among MSM. The study aims are: 1. To examine the intersection between DAFSV perpetration and in-person SV perpetration. Specifically, we will investigate the extent to which MSM who perpetrate DAFSV also perpetrate in-person SV during first meetings with partners met through dating apps [Phase 1 and 2]. 2. Aim 2. To examine the role of alcohol in DAFSV perpetration. Specifically, we will examine: a) whether MSM who drink more (vs. MSM who drink less) perpetrate more DAFSV [Phase 1], b) among drinkers, whether DAFSV is more likely on days MSM drink (vs. non-drinking days) [Phase 1], and c) among drinkers, how DAFSV perpetration incidents differ when MSM are drinking (vs. not drinking) [Phase 2]. 3. To explore risk and protective factors for DAFSV perpetration among MSM. We will a) investigate whether the relationship between alcohol use and DAFSV is moderated by sexual minority stressors and protective factors [Phase 1], and b) identify additional risk/protective factors (e.g., emotional states, motives, and situational factors (e.g., substance use) that characterize incidents of DAFSV perpetration [Phase 2].