Abstract
In exploring the scope and implications of internet infidelity in the current context in India, this chapter looks at a particular aspect of intimate relationships, that of partner violence. The findings are based on an online survey conducted across platforms, seeking responses on close-ended questions about intimate partner violence and internet infidelity, supported by subsequent qualitative responses. The sample consisted of 200 male and female young adults between the ages of 18 and 35. The findings reveal that while very few of the respondents themselves would consider engaging in an online romantic relationship simultaneously with a committed relationship, a small section of the sample agreed that seeking out romantic or sexual encounters online could be an escape from IPV. More significantly, almost one-third of the sample agreed to the likelihood of IPV if their partner were to find out about such infidelity. The findings point to a possibly important relationship between IPV and online infidelity, and how young adults perceive the two phenomena in relation to each other and separately, in the current Indian context. Research and policy implications are discussed.
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Notes
- 1.
All the figures in this chapter have been prepared by the author based on the results of the survey conducted by her for the purpose of this study.
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Majumdar, S. (2018). Online Infidelity and Intimate Partner Violence: Exploring Their Perceived Association Among Young Adults in India. In: Sahni, S., Jain, G. (eds) Internet Infidelity. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5412-9_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5412-9_8
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