STONEWALLING AND EMOTIONAL NEGLECT AS INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE IN GENERATION Z ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS: A QUALITATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: To shed light on the nature of interpersonal violence (IPV) among adolescents and young adults (AYA) in the era of Generation Z.Methods: The authors review the literature to provide an understanding of what the research literature has to say about the nature of IPV perpetration among AYA in the age of Generation Z.

Aims: The aim of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the nature of the phenomenon of stonewalling and emotional neglect as a type of interpersonal violence in romantic relationships of Generation Z (18–29 years old).

Method: Ten Pakistani university students and young professionals were sampled using purposive sampling and interviewed semi-structuredly. Braun and Clarke's (2006) reflexive thematic analysis was used for analysing data.

Results: Four major themes were found: (1) Some digital connectivity is being weaponized, (2) Withdrawal is somatic and psychological, (3) Withdrawal's boundary-punishment split, (4) Sociocultural emotional neglect normalization. Results show that the relational behaviour that is typical of a digitally mediated environment in Generation Z is a practice of power and control, it leaves physical and psychological traces and is systemically misinterpreted as normal relational behaviour.

Conclusion: The findings added to the current IPV framework by focusing non-physical, technologically mediated harm as a primary (and not a secondary) construct of a youth romantic violence framework. Psychoeducational intervention, relationship literacy programming and institutional mental health policy implications are discussed.