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Image-Based Sexual Abuse Risk Factors and Motivators Vasileia RUNNING HEAD: IBSA FACTORS AND MOTIVATORS iPredator: Image-based Sexual Abuse Risk Factors and Motivators Vasileia Karasavva A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2020 Vasileia Karasavva IBSA FACTORS AND MOTIVATORS i Abstract Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) can be defined as the non-consensual sharing or threatening to share of nude or sexual images of another person. This is one of the first studies examining how demographic characteristics (gender, sexual orientation), personality traits (Dark Tetrad), and attitudes (aggrieved entitlement, sexual entitlement, sexual image abuse myth acceptance) predict the likelihood of engaging in IBSA perpetration and victimization. In a sample of 816 undergraduate students (72.7% female and 23.3% male), approximately 15% of them had at some point in their life, distributed and/or threatened to distribute nude or sexual pictures of someone else without their consent and 1 in 3 had experienced IBSA victimization. Higher psychopathy or narcissism scores were associated with an increased likelihood of having engaged in IBSA perpetration. Additionally, those with no history of victimization were 70% less likely to have engaged in IBSA perpetration compared to those who had experienced someone disseminating their intimate image without consent themselves. These results suggest that a cyclic relationship between IBSA victimization exists, where victims of IBSA may turn to perpetration, and IBSA perpetrators may leave themselves vulnerable to future victimization. The challenges surrounding IBSA policy and legislation highlight the importance of understanding the factors and motivators associated with IBSA perpetration. IBSA FACTORS AND MOTIVATORS ii Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank all of the participants who took the time to complete our survey. I recognize that some of the questions were sensitive in nature and not the easiest to answer. Your time and attention are immensely appreciated. Next, I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Adelle Forth for all her support and guidance through the past two years. Your flexibility, encouragement (not to mention super fast turnover times of drafts) made the process of completing this research project a great experience. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Tina Daniels, and Dr. Myrto Mylopoulos for all their thoughtful comments and insight that shaped the final product of this thesis, as well as the chair of my committee Dr. Katie Gunnel. Of course, above all I couldn’t not thank Vasilis, Spyri, Sam, and Dean. I’m so grateful of our little family. IBSA FACTORS AND MOTIVATORS iii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iv List of Appendices ......................................................................................................................... vi List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... vii Life and Dating in the Online World ............................................................................................................ 2 Online Sexual Harassment ............................................................................................................................ 4 Gender- and Sexuality- Based Harassment ................................................................................................... 6 Cyber Obsessive Pursuit (Cyberstalking) ..................................................................................................... 8 The use of a carriage service to perpetrate a sexual assault or coerce an unwanted sexual experience ...... 10 Image-Based Sexual Abuse ...........................................................................................................11 Theoretical Understanding of IBSA ........................................................................................................... 16 Factors and Characteristics Predictive of IBSA.............................................................................23 Research Questions and Hypotheses........................................................................................................... 31 Method ...........................................................................................................................................33 Results ............................................................................................................................................38 Discussion ......................................................................................................................................71 Limitations .....................................................................................................................................81 Future Directions and Implications ................................................................................................83 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................85 References ......................................................................................................................................86 Appendices ...................................................................................................................................115 IBSA FACTORS AND MOTIVATORS iv List of Tables Table 1. Moral Disengagement in the Context of IBSA………………………………………...26 Table 2. Summary of the Dark Tetrad…………………………………………………………...33 Table 3. Descriptive Statistics and Internal Consistencies, and Number of Missing Data Points of Self-Report Measures……………………………………………………………………………49 Table 4. Endorsement Frequencies of Specific Context of IBSA Victimization………………..51 Table 5. IBSA Victimization Frequencies……………………………………………………….52 Table 6. Frequencies of Specific Context of IBSA Perpetration………………………………...54 Table 7. Frequencies of Both IBSA Victimization and Perpetration…………………………….55 Table 8. IBSA Perpetration Frequencies………………………………………………………...56 Table 9. Revenge Porn Scale Frequencies……………………………………………………….57 Table 10. Bivariate Correlations between IBSA Victimization and SD4, SIAMA, Aggrieved Entitlement and Sexual Entitlement……………………………………………………………..58 Table 11. Bivariate Correlations between IBSA Proclivity, Perpetration, and Knowledge that IBSA is Illegal……………………………………………………………………………………59 Table 12. Bivariate Correlations between IBSA Perpetration and SD4, SIAMA, Aggrieved Entitlement and Sexual Entitlement……………………………………………………………...60 Table 13. Bivariate Correlations between IBSA Subscales and SD4, SIAMA, Aggrieved Entitlement and Sexual Entitlement……………………………………………………………...61 Table 14. Binomial Logistic Regression of IBSA Victimization Total and Demographic, Attitudinal, and Personality Factors……………………………………………………………...63 Table 15. Binomial Logistic Regression of IBSA Victimization Distribute and Demographic, Attitudinal, and Personality Factors……………………………………………………………...64 Table 16. Binomial Logistic Regression of IBSA Victimization Threat and Demographic, Attitudinal, and Personality Factors……………………………………………………………..65 Table 17. Binomial Logistic Regression of IBSA Total and Demographic, Attitudinal, and Personality Factors………………………………………………………………………………66 Table 18. Binomial Logistic Regression of IBSA Perpetration Distribute and Demographic, Attitudinal, and Personality Factors……………………………………………………………..67 Table 19. Binomial Logistic Regression of IBSA Perpetration Threat and Demographic, Attitudinal, and Personality Factors……………………………………………………………...68 Table 20. Binomial Logistic Regression of Revenge Porn Proclivity and Demographic, Attitudinal, and Personality Factors……………………………………………………………..69 Table 21. Binomial Logistic Regression of Revenge Porn Enjoyment and Demographic, Attitudinal, and Personality Factors……………………………………………………………...71 Table 22. Binomial Logistic Regression of Revenge Porn Approval and Demographic, Attitudinal, and Personality Factors……………………………………………………………...72 Table 23. Frequencies of Perpetrator’s Gender and Relationship between Victim and Perpetrator………………………………………………………………………………………..73 Table 24. Observed and Expected Frequencies of Gender of Victim and their Perpetrator……..74 Table 25. Observed and Expected Frequencies of Gender of Victim and their Perpetrator……..74 Table 26. Frequencies of Victim’s Gender and Relationship of Perpetrator with Victim……….75 IBSA FACTORS AND MOTIVATORS v Table 27. Observed and Expected Frequencies of Gender of Perpetrator and their Victim’s…..76 Table 28. Observed and Expected Frequencies of Gender of Perpetrator and their Victim…….76 Table 29. Observed and Expected Frequencies of Awareness of IBSA Illegal Status and Proclivity or Perpetration of IBSA………………………………………………………………77 IBSA FACTORS AND MOTIVATORS vi List of Appendices Appendix A. Demographic Questionnaire ...................................................................................114 Appendix B. Short
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