Advances in technology have transformed and expanded the ways in which violence against women (VAW) can be perpetrated. Like so many other aspects of life, VAW has become digitalised, with online violence and abuse now ubiquitous in the lives of women and growing at an alarming rate. Digitalised VAW comes in many forms including hacking, threats, surveillance/tracking, harassment and stalking, cyber flashing, deepfake pornography, and malicious distribution of intimate photos and messages, also known as image-based sexual violence.

To date, very little research has been carried out on this phenomenon, leaving significant gaps in the literature around the prevalence of this type of violence in Europe, victim characteristics, reporting practices, the impact on victim’s wellbeing, recovery and the availability of support services. This project thus proposes an extensive investigation into this issue which, as it continues to go unaddressed, poses a significant risk to women’s ability to safely engage in the online world. To do this, the project will first scope the current state of knowledge, policy and legislation across the continent. Then, to understand the nature and scale of this issue, we will undertake the first Europe wide survey of women and their experiences of digitalised VAW. Additionally, in-depth qualitative interviewing will be used to gain rich and insightful data on how DVAW impacts specific vulnerable groups including young people, minority ethnic groups and the LGBT community. Finally, we will engage with victim support services and law enforcement to better understand the unique needs of survivors of DVAW and the challenges they face in accessing justice.

KEYWORDS:

cyber, on-line, digital, abuse, violence against women, image, sexual violence.