College Men Were 7 Times More Likely to Use Cannabis the Day After Cyber Dating Abuse
Male college students were over 7 times more likely to use cannabis the day after experiencing cyber dating abuse victimization, while women showed no such association.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among men, experiencing cyber dating abuse victimization predicted a 7.34-fold increase in odds of next-day cannabis use (p < .001). Paradoxically, CDA victimization was associated with fewer drinks the following day for men. Among women, CDA victimization was unrelated to next-day cannabis or alcohol use.
Key Numbers
236 participants (73.73% women); 60 daily surveys; men: CDA predicted 7.34x odds of next-day cannabis use (p < .001); men: CDA predicted fewer drinks next day (B = -2.63, p < .001); women: no associations with next-day substance use; 43% of CDA events per year in college
How They Did This
60-day daily diary study with 236 college students in dating relationships (73.73% cisgender women). Participants reported daily alcohol use, cannabis use, and cyber dating abuse victimization experiences. Multilevel modeling accounted for within-person and between-person variation.
Why This Research Matters
This is the first study to identify cannabis use as a specific behavioral response to cyber dating abuse. The strong gender difference suggests men and women may use different coping mechanisms after relationship conflicts, with men turning to cannabis rather than alcohol.
The Bigger Picture
Cyber dating abuse is experienced by 43% of college students annually, making it one of the most common interpersonal stressors on campus. The finding that it drives next-day cannabis use in men connects two common college health concerns in a way prevention programs could address together.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small male subsample (26.3% of 236), daily diary relies on self-report, cannot confirm causal direction, college student sample may not generalize, cannabis use measured as yes/no without quantity
Questions This Raises
- ?Why do men specifically turn to cannabis rather than alcohol after cyber dating abuse?
- ?Would addressing CDA victimization reduce cannabis use among college men?
- ?Do similar patterns exist in non-college young adult populations?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Male college students had 7.34x higher odds of cannabis use the day after cyber dating abuse
- Evidence Grade:
- Novel daily diary finding but small male subsample and inability to confirm causal direction
- Study Age:
- Published 2025
- Original Title:
- Does cyber dating abuse victimization predict next-day alcohol and cannabis use among college students?
- Published In:
- The American journal on addictions, 34(3), 297-304 (2025)
- Authors:
- Brem, Meagan J, Shaw, T J, Tobar-Santamaria, Allison
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06113
Evidence Hierarchy
Follows a group of people over time to track how outcomes develop.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do college students use cannabis to cope with relationship problems?
This study found male college students were over 7 times more likely to use cannabis the day after experiencing cyber dating abuse. Interestingly, they actually drank less the next day, suggesting cannabis may serve as a specific coping mechanism.
Did women show the same pattern?
No. Women showed no association between cyber dating abuse victimization and next-day cannabis or alcohol use, suggesting gender-specific coping patterns.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06113APA
Brem, Meagan J; Shaw, T J; Tobar-Santamaria, Allison. (2025). Does cyber dating abuse victimization predict next-day alcohol and cannabis use among college students?. The American journal on addictions, 34(3), 297-304. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.13672
MLA
Brem, Meagan J, et al. "Does cyber dating abuse victimization predict next-day alcohol and cannabis use among college students?." The American journal on addictions, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.13672
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Does cyber dating abuse victimization predict next-day alcoh..." RTHC-06113. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/brem-2025-does-cyber-dating-abuse
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.