Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence and Health Correlates Among Gay Men in China

IntroductionThe entanglement of social and digital networks significantly affects interpersonal relationships. Little is known about the extent, nature, and impact of technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) victimization among gay men. This study examined the prevalence of TFSV victimization and its relationship with mental health and substance use among gay men in China.MethodsA total of 230 gay men, aged 16-41, participated in a web-based survey conducted between October 2021 and February 2022. First, we examined the prevalence of TFSV victimization among gay men, followed by an analysis of its relationship with mental health, substance use, and differences among different sexual self-labels.ResultsThese results indicated that 82.2% of the participants experienced at least one form of TFSV (78.1% for bottoms, 86.7% for versatiles, and 88.1% for tops); however, no significant differences were found among sexual self-labels. TFSV victimization was significantly correlated with both mental health and substance use. Furthermore, TFSV victimization was significantly correlated with mental health and substance use in both bottoms and versatiles. No significant correlations were found for tops.ConclusionsThese results indicated that TFSV victimization was highly prevalent among gay men in China. Additionally, gay men with more TFSV victimization experiences reported poorer mental health outcomes and higher alcohol and tobacco use. The relationship between TFSV victimization and mental health was stronger in bottoms and versatiles than in tops.Policy Implications.These findings provide a crucial foundation for future research on TFSV victimization in gay men and offer valuable insights for policy and practice. These results suggest that enhanced healthcare, victim services, technical support, and legal assistance may be necessary for gay men in China, with an emphasis on addressing the health risks associated with victimization.ConclusionsThese results indicated that TFSV victimization was highly prevalent among gay men in China. Additionally, gay men with more TFSV victimization experiences reported poorer mental health outcomes and higher alcohol and tobacco use. The relationship between TFSV victimization and mental health was stronger in bottoms and versatiles than in tops.Policy Implications.These findings provide a crucial foundation for future research on TFSV victimization in gay men and offer valuable insights for policy and practice. These results suggest that enhanced healthcare, victim services, technical support, and legal assistance may be necessary for gay men in China, with an emphasis on addressing the health risks associated with victimization.ConclusionsThese results indicated that TFSV victimization was highly prevalent among gay men in China. Additionally, gay men with more TFSV victimization experiences reported poorer mental health outcomes and higher alcohol and tobacco use. The relationship between TFSV victimization and mental health was stronger in bottoms and versatiles than in tops.Policy Implications.These findings provide a crucial foundation for future research on TFSV victimization in gay men and offer valuable insights for policy and practice. These results suggest that enhanced healthcare, victim services, technical support, and legal assistance may be necessary for gay men in China, with an emphasis on addressing the health risks associated with victimization.