Cyber dating violence prevention programs in universal populations: A systematic review

Abstract

Although the technological revolution of recent decades has produced undeniable advances, it has also generated problems derived from new forms of human communication, especially among the younger population. This is the case with cyber dating violence, a problem that affects between 12% and 56% of young couples, making the need for preventive intervention patently evident. This study attempts to fill a gap in the literature in this field, carrying out a systematic review of universal cyber dating violence prevention programs, analyzing their characteristics and the evidence provided of their effectiveness. Following the PRISMA method, only 3 programs met the inclusion criteria: the DARSI program, the Dat-e Adolescence program and the Brief Incremental Theory of Personality (ITP) adolescent dating violence prevention program. All were reported to be effective, based on different indicators. Given the small body of work published to date and the limitations of the aforementioned programs, future research should aim to design and validate a greater number of programs that serve as tools for addressing this problem in a timely manner, in order to avoid not only the serious consequences it has for victims, but also its escalation towards adulthood.