Victimization and Perpetration of Online Dating Violence and Emotional Dependence by Gender among University Students in Ecuador
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe objective of this research was to analyze the perpetration and victimization of 174 intimate partner violence and emotional dependence online between men and women in university students in the Ecuadorian context. Thus, I suggest including references, such as the one provided below, that highlight the significance of culture and how perceptions of violence vary across countries. This aspect is essential for better understanding the results and discussing their limitations
Cuadrado-Gordillo, Isabel, and Guadalupe Martín-Mora-Parra. "Influence of cross-cultural factors about sexism, perception of severity, victimization, and gender violence in adolescent dating relationships." International journal of environmental research and public health 19.16 (2022): 10356.
The study investigates the roles of online dating violence and emotional dependency within the context of interpersonal relationships. The topic is of great interest due to its relationship with well-being and the impact on people's mental health, along with the characteristics of current societies and technologies that change behavioral patterns in dating relationships. However, the chosen method does not allow a complete understanding of the role that violence plays in this context. The results find differences between genders and a prevalence of this violence in the context of Ecuador.
The authors need to address the following aspects:
Major issues
The type of quantitative approach with a descriptive and explanatory approach and the transversal and non-experimental design does not allow obtaining conclusive data on the relationship between these variables nor does it allow us to generalize to other cultural contexts. For all these reasons, we believe that the authors should present in a more exhaustive way the main cultural characteristics of the context and the sample studied.
Furthermore, it would be necessary to provide bibliography and narrative in the text that specifically refers to the study of cultural differences that can determine the presence of violence in online dating and emotional dependence.
Minor issues
We suggest that if the population studied is from Ecuador, the title of the work should be specifically reflected.
Additionally, it would also be necessary for them to provide the theoretical and practical implications of this research.
Author Response
Dear Doctor
Thank you for pointing this out. We agree with your comments. Therefore, we have made all the modifications you have suggested.
The objective of this research was to analyze the perpetration and victimization of 174 intimate partner violence and emotional dependence online between men and women in university students in the Ecuadorian context. Thus, I suggest including references, such as the one provided below, that highlight the significance of culture and how perceptions of violence vary across countries. This aspect is essential for better understanding the results and discussing their limitations
Cuadrado-Gordillo, Isabel, and Guadalupe Martín-Mora-Parra. "Influence of cross-cultural factors about sexism, perception of severity, victimization, and gender violence in adolescent dating relationships." International journal of environmental research and public health 19.16 (2022): 10356.
Response: The suggested references and additional ones have been added to the introduction. These are highlighted in red for your review
The study investigates the roles of online dating violence and emotional dependency within the context of interpersonal relationships. The topic is of great interest due to its relationship with well-being and the impact on people's mental health, along with the characteristics of current societies and technologies that change behavioral patterns in dating relationships. However, the chosen method does not allow a complete understanding of the role that violence plays in this context. The results find differences between genders and a prevalence of this violence in the context of Ecuador.
The authors need to address the following aspects:
Major issues
The type of quantitative approach with a descriptive and explanatory approach and the transversal and non-experimental design does not allow obtaining conclusive data on the relationship between these variables nor does it allow us to generalize to other cultural contexts. For all these reasons, we believe that the authors should present in a more exhaustive way the main cultural characteristics of the context and the sample studied.
Response:
Information on the characteristics of the sample has been provided to better understand the participants. It is crucial to examine the cultural aspect, and we have attempted to detail this aspect in Ecuador using available references. Although this study is quantitative, we believe that mixed methods research with a qualitative approach would be more appropriate to better understand the cultural aspect. However, the main objective of this study was to examine the perpetration and victimization of online dating violence according to gender, so we focused specifically on this aspect. In the limitations section, it is explained that future research should use mixed methods to address these issues more comprehensively.
Furthermore, it would be necessary to provide bibliography and narrative in the text that specifically refers to the study of cultural differences that can determine the presence of violence in online dating and emotional dependence.
Response: Several references have been incorporated in both the introduction and discussion sections
Minor issues
We suggest that if the population studied is from Ecuador, the title of the work should be specifically reflected.
Response: The change was made to the title
Additionally, it would also be necessary for them to provide the theoretical and practical implications of this research.
Response: Theoretical and practical implications were added after the limitations
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsSubject to the minor revisions detailed below, I anticipate that this article will generate a vast interest and citations for the authors and journal.
Introduction: Overall, a comprehensive account of relevant key literature underpinning the research was included. There were places where some of the literature cited was slightly outdated and thus the authors are consider this in updating/revising the manuscript based on other requested revisions below. The authors should however be commended for the theoretical underpinnings within the introduction that was a welcome addition to this research paper. One part of the introduction that does however need strengthening is the account of prior studies that have adopted both different and similar methodological approaches to help understanding various aspects of victims experiences (e.g. Lilley & Mojtahedi, 2023, DOI:10.3390/socsci12010034) and young peoples online dating violence attitudes (e.g.; Sowersby, 2022, DOI: 10.3389/FPSYG.2022.867991).
Methods: A highly standardized and clear account of the study procedures is provided. That said, slightly more detail is required regarding the ethical considerations for this study given the nature of the questions that young people were asked to answer. Likewise, the authors should provide a more detailed account of the psychometric properties of the measurement instruments used in this study beyond crombachs alpha e.g. is the scale unidimensional or multidimensional, Likert scales used, number of items per-sub scale, total range of scores. Whether the scales have been psychometrically validated using CFA/EFA etc. The authors should also record the response rate – it’s not clear how the sample went from 60k to 3202 respondents. Is this simply those who responded to the initial survey or did more complete that were removed from the dataset (if so, say why).
Results: Overall, the results section offers a robust account of the different analysis carried out. Should DS in table 1 be SD instead (i.e. standard deviation?). I think this is the wrong way around. The authors also need to report effect size results alongside p-values in the table and comment about the size of differences and associations within the text. Table 3 and 4 for the logical regression will be more clearly reported with male and female data in separate tables.
Discussion: The authors provide a clear and logical interpretation of findings and offer readers a detailed discussion of the implications of this study (for both theory and research) alongside a fair account of limits leading to future recommendations. The authors are however directed to a study that may help them interpret their gender results which is not currently cited; Conroy & Murphy, 2023, DOI: 10.1108/MHSI-05-2023-0057. (+Waite & Mooney (2024) doi/10.1108/JCP-02-2024-0016/full/html and Ostermann & Watson (2024) doi/10.1108/JCP-01-2024-0002/full/html and Lewandowicz-Machnikowska et al (2024) doi.org/10.1108/JCP-07-2023-0049)
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageAll fine overall. Just minor editing needed throughout.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
Thank you for your comments. We have modified several aspects you suggested to improve the manuscript. Below are the responses to your observations
1.- Introduction: Overall, a comprehensive account of relevant key literature underpinning the research was included. There were places where some of the literature cited was slightly outdated and thus the authors are consider this in updating/revising the manuscript based on other requested revisions below. The authors should however be commended for the theoretical underpinnings within the introduction that was a welcome addition to this research paper. One part of the introduction that does however need strengthening is the account of prior studies that have adopted both different and similar methodological approaches to help understanding various aspects of victims experiences (e.g. Lilley & Mojtahedi, 2023, DOI:10.3390/socsci12010034) and young peoples online dating violence attitudes (e.g.; Sowersby, 2022, DOI: 10.3389/FPSYG.2022.867991).
Response:
The suggested references and additional ones have been added to the introduction. These are highlighted in red for your review
2. Methods: A highly standardized and clear account of the study procedures is provided.
a. That said, slightly more detail is required regarding the ethical considerations for this study given the nature of the questions that young people were asked to answer.
Response: The study's procedure has been described in greater detail, including ethical considerations in the participants section. Additionally, these aspects are specified in the Institutional Review Board Statement section
b. Likewise, the authors should provide a more detailed account of the psychometric properties of the measurement instruments used in this study beyond crombachs alpha e.g. is the scale unidimensional or multidimensional, Likert scales used, number of items per-sub scale, total range of scores. Whether the scales have been psychometrically validated using CFA/EFA etc.
Response:
A more detailed description of the psychometric properties of the measurement instruments used in this study has been provided.
c. The authors should also record the response rate – it’s not clear how the sample went from 60k to 3202 respondents. Is this simply those who responded to the initial survey or did more complete that were removed from the dataset (if so, say why).
Response:
It was clarified that the selected participants were those who responded to the initial survey
3. Results: Overall, the results section offers a robust account of the different analysis carried out.
a. Should DS in table 1 be SD instead (i.e. standard deviation?). I think this is the wrong way around
Response:
It was modified
b. I think this is the wrong way around. The authors also need to report effect size results alongside p-values in the table and comment about the size of differences and associations within the text
Response:
The effect sizes along with the p-values were reported textually in the results. Since all the values correlated, it was deemed unnecessary to include them in the table
c. Table 3 and 4 for the logical regression will be more clearly reported with male and female data in separate tables.
Response:
Given that our purpose is to analyze the victimization and perpetration by gender, we believe these tables provide a clearer explanation.
4. Discussion: The authors provide a clear and logical interpretation of findings and offer readers a detailed discussion of the implications of this study (for both theory and research) alongside a fair account of limits leading to future recommendations. The authors are however directed to a study that may help them interpret their gender results which is not currently cited; Conroy & Murphy, 2023, DOI: 10.1108/MHSI-05-2023-0057. (+Waite & Mooney (2024) doi/10.1108/JCP-02-2024-0016/full/html and Ostermann & Watson (2024) doi/10.1108/JCP-01-2024-0002/full/html and Lewandowicz-Machnikowska et al (2024) doi.org/10.1108/JCP-07-2023-0049)
Response: A deeper analysis was performed and the references were increased, including both those recommended by you and additional references.
