quick-escape

Feeling unsafe? Find support services   emergency? call 000

Research

Our research

Violence against women and children affects everybody. It impacts on the health, wellbeing and safety of a significant proportion of Australians throughout all states and territories and places an enormous burden on the nation’s economy across family and community services, health and hospitals, income-support and criminal justice systems.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

News and events

ANROWS hosts events as part of its knowledge transfer and exchange work, including public lectures, workshops and research launches. Details of upcoming ANROWS activities and news are available from the list on the right.

ANROWS

About ANROWS

ANROWS was established by the Commonwealth and all state and territory governments of Australia to produce, disseminate and assist in applying evidence for policy and practice addressing violence against women and their children.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

Resources

To support the take-up of evidence, ANROWS offers a range of resources developed from research to support practitioners and policy-makers in delivering evidence-based interventions.


4AP.3

Technology-facilitated abuse: Extent, nature and responses in the Australian community

Completed
July 2022

Australian research has shown that the use of technology to perpetrate violence against women is a rapidly growing and serious problem.


Though the research both nationally and internationally is developing, there are several key gaps in our current knowledge. Specifically, little is known about the extent of women’s experiences of technology-facilitated abuse (TFA), or the nature and relational contexts of women’s experiences of TFA (which can inform prevention and the provision of support services).

Further, little is known about the extent of TFA perpetration, or the attitudinal and other correlates of TFA perpetration that might be targeted in prevention and response programs.

To address these knowledge gaps, this research project: 

  • established reliable national prevalence rates for the adult victimisation and perpetration of key forms of TFA, including online sexual harassment, stalking, partner violence and image-based sexual abuse
  • improved understanding of the lived experiences and help-seeking patterns of women victims and survivors of TFA, and identified currently available (and needed) help-seeking remedies
  • improved understanding of the nature and characteristics of TFA perpetration
  • provided an evidence base to inform practice innovation and further development of prevention and responses to TFA.

The research also identified how we can more effectively disrupt, prevent and respond to TFA.

This project used a mixed-method research design, comprising a sector survey, formative qualitative research interviews and a national survey of TFA victimisation and perpetration.

Significance

The significance and impact of this research project is threefold. First, in examining TFA, the project directly addressed national policy and research priorities as identified under the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (2010–2022). TFA is identified as a significant issue under National Priority Four: Respond to sexual violence and sexual harassment. Second, through a nationally representative prevalence survey and in-depth interviews, this project addressed an urgent gap in current knowledge regarding the extent and nature of TFA. Third, through consultative research with the service sector, as well as an industry and sector stakeholder project advisory group, the project developed evidence-based and practice-informed recommendations for improving policy frameworks, legal responses and support services, and preventing TFA.


Presentations

Technology-facilitated abuse: Extent, nature and responses in the Australian community



This webinar launched the two final reports within a national study examining the extent and nature of, and responses to, technology-facilitated abuse within the Australian community: Technology-facilitated abuse: Interviews with victims and survivors and perpetrators and Technology-facilitated abuse: National survey of Australian adults’ experiences.

Presenters:

  • Dr Asher Flynn, Associate Professor, Criminology, Monash University
  • Ela Stewart, Manager Legal Centre and Policy, InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence
  • Carolyn Wilkes, Manager, Women’s Programs, eSafety Commission
  • Joanne Yates, General Manager – Advocacy and Communications, No to Violence

Facilitated by: Padma Raman PSM, CEO, ANROWS.


Downloads

RESEARCH REPORT

Technology-facilitated abuse: A survey of support services stakeholders

Download

RESEARCH REPORT

Technology-facilitated abuse: Interviews with victims and survivors and perpetrators

Download

RESEARCH REPORT

Technology-facilitated abuse: National survey of Australian adults’ experiences

Download

FACT SHEET

Technology-facilitated abuse: Self-reported perpetration by Australians aged 18+

View more

FACT SHEET

Technology-facilitated abuse: Victimisation experiences by Australians aged 18+

View more
see also

WORD DOCUMENT

Technology-facilitated abuse: A survey of support services stakeholders

Download

Researchers

Project lead

Associate Professor Asher Flynn, Criminology, Monash University

Research team

Associate Professor Anastasia Powell, Criminology & Justice Studies, RMIT University

Sophie Hindes, University of Melbourne & Monash University

Research partners

The research included a project advisory group comprising Our Watch, the Domestic Violence Resource Centre, the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health, Rainbow Health, Transgender Victoria, Women’s Legal Service NSW, Women’s Disability Victoria, the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council, the NSW Department of Justice, Sexual Assault Support Service, WESNET, the Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner, Victoria Police, Facebook, Twitter, Google, and academics from Australia and the United Kingdom.

See also

MEDIA RELEASE

New research to investigate the growing problem of technology-facilitated abuse

Find out more

MEDIA RELEASE

“I needed to retain hold of that life, and that control of that person”: Perpetrators of technology-facilitated abuse share their motivations and experiences

Find out more

Webinar

Technology-facilitated abuse: Extent, nature and responses in the Australian community

Find out more

Budget

$294,031 (excl. GST)

This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.

Back to top