Digital dating experiences of young people from Brasil and Australia

What is the purpose of this research?

The purpose of this research is to understand young people’s digital dating experiences. This study aims to identify digital dating behaviours and understand young women’s perceptions of these behaviours.

Information about the project for Portugese speakers is available below.

Are you looking for people like me?

I am inviting young women aged between 18 and 21 years who:

• are currently living in Queensland, Australia
• have been in an intimate relationship during adolescence (12-19 years) in which a male partner has used technology (eg. mobile phone, social media, computer, GPS, apps, etc.) in a way that made them feel uneasy, uncomfortable, unsafe, afraid or worried. This relationship might be casual or serious, short or long-term, hooking up or unofficially dating.
• are comfortable in speaking in English or Brazilian Portuguese.

What will you ask me to do?

Your participation will involve an audio recorded interview at a private study room at QUT Gardens Point or QUT Kelvin Grove campus, or via Zoom, if the in-person interview is not possible. The interview will last approximately 90 minutes and will be conducted by a female PhD student.

The interview will focus on your experiences of heterosexual intimate relationship between the ages of 12-19 years where a male partner has used technology in a way that made you feel uneasy, uncomfortable, unsafe, afraid or worried.

Are there any risks for me in taking part?

The research team has identified the following possible risks in relation to participating in this study:

• You may feel upset while undertaking the interview. During the interview you can skip questions, take breaks or end the interview at any time. The interviewer will work with you to make sure you are comfortable before, during and after the interview.
• It should be noted that if you do agree to participate you can withdraw from participation in the research project without comment or penalty until two weeks after the interview.

Are there any benefits for me in taking part?

It is expected that this research project will not benefit you directly. However, it may benefit our understanding of young women’s experiences of digital dating from Brasil and Australia.

Will I be compensated for my time?

To recognise your contribution should you choose to participate, the research team is offering a $20 online gift voucher. The voucher will be sent to your email after the interview.

I am interested - what should I do next?

If you are interested in participating in this study, please send an email to gisella.ferreira@hdr.qut.edu.au if you have a safe and private e-mail (one that only you have access to). If you don’t have your own private e-mail, you can create one using a free service like Gmail or Yahoo Mail. For privacy, avoid using your full name and select a username for your e-mail that would not be recognised by others as you. Use a strong password that others do not know and would not be able to guess (but one that you will remember).

You will be provided with further information to ensure that your decision and consent to participate is fully informed.

Download the participant information sheet, which has more information on the project:

Participant information sheet (PDF file, 124.9 KB)

Participant information sheet (Portugese) (PDF file, 91.0 KB)