Development and validation of the TAR Scale: A measure of technology-facilitated abuse in relationships

Abstract

Technology-facilitated abuse in relationships (TAR) occurs frequently in young people’s dating relationships, however the development of TAR measurement is limited. Existing instruments examining youth TAR confine measurement to specific digital devices and platforms, often measure only victimisation or perpetration, or lack reliability or validity evidence. In addition, the impact of TAR in youth is rarely measured, often obscuring the gendered nature of TAR. Following consultation with youth and experts, a sample of 527 youth (53% women and 47% men) aged 16–24 years completed a survey on 54 TAR behaviours to establish reliability and validity evidence for a new scale measuring TAR victimisation, perpetration and impact. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a scale comprising 30 items and four factors - Humiliation, Monitoring and Control, Sexual Coercion, and Threats – with Cronbach’s alphas ranging from 0.80 to 0.88 and overall explained variance of 53.4%. Measuring TAR victimisation, perpetration and impact across all digital platforms and exhibiting evidence of validity and reliability, this new scale represents an important advancement in the measurement of TAR. In particular, the inclusion of an impact measure has meaningful implications for future TAR, domestic violence and youth relationship research, and for applied settings involving victim support and TAR prevention.