Reflections on Intersectional Feminist Approaches: Promoting an Ethics of Care in Research on Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence and Youth

The Nature of Technology-Facilitated Violence and Abuse among Young Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa

Increasingly pervasive in recent years is a range of behaviours using digital technologies to harm individuals–especially women–known as ‘technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV)’. Some notable examples of TFSV include digital sexual harassment and nonconsensual sharing of intimate content–also called ‘image-based sexual abuse (IBSA)’. This article investigates university students’ experiences of TFSV in Singapore, addressing the questions: How prevalent is TFSV and what are the dominant forms experienced by students? How do they understand TFSV and its categories? To what extent are these understandings shaped by experiencing TFSV? We conducted online surveys with 3,000 students and digital data collection and elicitation interviews with 20 students at the nation’s largest university. Our findings revealed higher than average prevalence rates among participants, of which digital sexual harassment was the most dominant form. Although participants understood TFSV as constituting sexual violence, they also perceived TFSV as expected behaviour and tended to blame victim-survivors for their experience. More importantly, their understandings did not always reflect academic frameworks or terminologies of TFSV. This study informs how we understand TFSV in terms of gender-based violence enabled by technology in Singapore, contributing to the dearth of research on sexual violence in Asian contexts.

This article explores Technology Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV), a rising issue in the digital era. TFSV encompasses online harassment, cyberstalking, and image-based exploitation via digital technologies. Unlike previous studies focusing on youth, this one includes adults. Surveys in Australia and the U.S. show TFSV’s high occurrence in adults. Using a qualitative method, the study involves legal and mental health experts to discuss TFSV’s effects, challenges, and solutions. Findings indicate frequent use of social media for abuse, causing victims significant mental distress like fear and trauma. The study points out the gap between fast-paced technological growth and the slower response of legal systems, resulting in ill-prepared professionals for handling digital abuse. It urges immediate, multi-pronged action against TFSV, including training for legal and law enforcement, education for practitioners and victims, and cross-sector collaboration. The article emphasizes the necessity of a better, comprehensive response to TFSV, advocating for an informed and inclusive approach in addressing digital sexual violence.

Background: Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) is a significant problem for young people and is on the rise in Canada. Young people from marginalized groups are at greater risk of TFSV victimization, and urgent support from schools is needed. Analysis: This study uses intersectionality as an analytic framework to examine how Canadian secondary schools address TFSV within their educational curricula, policies, and legislation. Conclusion and implications: TFSV, gender-based harms, sexuality-based harms, power imbalances, and intersectionality are neither consistently nor comprehensively discussed in educational curricula, policies, or legislation. Approaches to TFSV education and prevention must be more comprehensive and should address TFSV using an intersectional approach.

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine measures policies increased Internet usage, leading to technological hazards as technology facilitated sexual violence (TFSV).AimThe current work aimed to assess TFSV among working and non-working Egyptian females before and during COVID-19.MethodsThe current work is a cross-sectional observational comparative study using an anonymous online questionnaire distributed through social platforms among working and non-working Egyptian females.ResultsTFSV was reported by 50.3% of the participants; however, regarding some forms of digital sexual violence, there was a significant decrease during COVID-19 lockdown than before it, considering; threatened creation form (7.8%, 12.0%; p = 0.017); non-consensual pornography (31.4%, 51.9%; p < 0.001) and online sexual harassment and cyber-stalking types (80.9%, 89.4%; p < 0.001). Only 17.3% of the study participants knew the identity of the perpetrator. TFSV led 6.4% to abstain from social media, and 3.9% reported the incident to a law agency.ConclusionsThe current study revealed that almost half of women experienced TFSV. Although time spent on the Internet by the whole participants during the pandemic was significantly higher than before, there was a significant decrease in some types of TFSV. The current study revealed that divorced females working in non-governmental sectors experienced harassment more significantly than others. There is crucial importance to set laws and penalties against perpetrators of TFSV to provide a safe technological environment for women.

Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV), i.e. the use of digital communication technologies for facilitating sexual violence and harassment, represents a concern due to its exponential growth, particularly among youths. Few studies investigated TFSV, mainly due to the lack of a validated assessment tool, such as the TFSV-Victimization scale (TFSV-VS). Our study aimed to investigate the TFSV phenomenon in a sample of Italian young adults (aged 18-24), through the validation of the Italian translated version of TFSV-VS. The study consisted of two phases: 1) validation of the Italian version of TFSV-VS; b) evaluation of TFSV lifetime and during the last 12 months among Italian youths. In our sample, 78.6% and 56.1% of subjects reported a lifetime and 12-months TFSV victimization, respectively. Digital sexual (70.4% and 46.6%), gender and/or sexuality-based harassment (43% and 29.6%) are those most represented. A gendered and sexuality-based pattern in lifetime TFSV was observed, mainly observed among females (p=0.005) and sexual/gender minority (SGM)(p=0.001). Being female (p<0.001) and perceiving low social support (p = 0.030) were associated with higher subjective distress related to traumatic TFSV experiences. Being female (p<0.001), younger (p=0.006) and perceiving low social support (p=0.030) were associated with the highest psychological distress due to TFSV. Italian TFSV-VS shows good psychometric properties. Our findings observed a gendered trend of TFSV, by suggesting TFSV as a phenomenon influenced by SGM belonging.

Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) is defined broadly as unwanted or unwelcome sexual behavior involving the use of technology, including online sexual harassment, online gender or sexuality-based harassment, online image-based abuse (colloquially known as "revenge porn"), and online sexual aggression/coercion (colloquially known as "sextortion"). The purpose of this study was to explore the victim impact of TFSV and to critically examine the positioning of TFSV as a gender-based harm; that is, a harm directed primarily towards women. This study employed a mixed methods approach, integrating quantitative online survey data (N = 333; Mage = 33.91years; 63% women) with qualitative interview data (N = 10; Agerange = 24-46; 50% women) to gain a more comprehensive understanding of TFSV. We found that victims of TFSV experienced anxiety, stress, depression, loss of control, mistrust, multiple victimizations, poor academic/occupation functioning, problematic alcohol consumption, embarrassment, and online behavior changes (e.g., limiting personal information online) due to TFSV victimization. Individuals who experienced online image-based abuse reported greater distress on items of depression, anxiety, and occupational/academic functioning than did victims of other types of TFSV. The current study provides partial support for the gender similarities hypothesis that TFSV is not exclusively a gender-based harm; our findings suggest that women and men's TFSV experiences are similar for most TFSV types. Overall, the present study demonstrates the negative impact TFSV has for both women and men and highlights the need for greater awareness and increased support for all victims of this form of sexual violence.

Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV) describes the perpetration of a variety of sexual offences committed through digital communication technologies. The current study aims to investigate the similarity of risk factors between TFSV and in-person sexual offending. The sample consisted of 105 young adult, Australian males who responded to measures of sexual violence acceptance, dating app usage, online disinhibition, and the dark triad. Overall, 45.3% of the sample reported at least one instance of TFSV perpetration in the past 5 years. Standard and hierarchical linear regressions revealed dating app usage, the dark triad, and online disinhibition positively predicted TFSV perpetration. Neither measure of attitudes accepting of sexual violence predicted TFSV perpetration, but their positive correlation is indicative of cultural norms enabling sexual violence against women. As illuminated here, the congruence between TFSV and in-person violence extends beyond conceptual and prevalence trends to predictive risk factors. Recommendations for interventions and prevention include raising awareness of risk-generating app features that create vulnerability to sexual harm and identifying heterogenous groups of TFSV offenders based on key characteristics to develop optimal intervention strategies.

When should we intervene in adolescent depression and with whom?

In recent years, youth mental health has emerged as a critical challenge across Europe, with alarming trends indicating a significant decline in the mental and emotional well-being of young people. According to various studies, rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm have increased markedly among children and young people, prompting concern from healthcare professionals, policymakers, and educators alike. Factors contributing to this decline include academic pressures, the unprecedented disruptions caused by global events such as conflict, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pervasive influence of social media and digital technologies. While the digital world presents opportunities for learning and connection, it also exposes young people to a range of risks, including cyberbullying, social comparison, and unrealistic portrayals of life. Studies have shown that excessive use of social media can lead to heightened feelings of anxiety and depression, as young people grapple with the pressures to curate a perfect online persona. The hyper-connected nature of digital life can also contribute to social isolation, as in-person interactions diminish in favour of virtual communication. Addressing this decline in mental health and well-being is not only a critical public health concern, but is rapidly emerging as a key cross-sectoral priority. There is increasing recognition that the broad drivers of youth mental and wellbeing cannot be addressed by the health sector alone; at the same time inaction will have far reaching societal and economic impacts. If left unaddressed and untreated, poor mental health amongst young people can have significant lifetime consequences in terms of increased mortality, lost educational and employment opportunities, reduced lifetime earnings, social exclusion, and poor physical and mental health outcomes. In the context of significant pressure on government budgets, recent dialogues have highlighted concerns of the impacts of young people’s poor mental health on unemployment and labour markets, economic growth and tax sustainability. The WHO Regional Office for Europe in partnership with the Ministry of Health of France convened a high-level meeting in June 2025 to build commitment of member states to advance a Mental Health in All Policies approach. The meeting was convened under the WHO/European Commission’s flagship initiative Addressing Mental Health Challenges in the EU, Iceland and Norway, in response to a consistent request from member states for support from WHO Europe to build capacity in cross-sectoral policy making and partnerships. This groundbreaking meeting brought together over 200 participants from 34 countries and across multiple sectors and public health agencies to explore the ways in which shared responsibility for mental health policy-making and outcomes could reap rewards for individuals, health systems and economies across the European region. A key theme of the event was the urgent need for all sectors responsible for the determinants of youth mental health to take greater responsibility for developing policies and programmes which promote and protect young people’s mental health and wellbeing. This session incorporating a keynote presentation and panel discussion aims to report back from the Paris high-level meeting to disseminate outcomes and identified actions needed to promote youth mental health in all policies, with a focus on addressing the digital determinants of youth mental health and well-being and cross-sectoral action and investments that have co-benefits for young people and for economic development across Europe. Moderators Natasha Azzopardi Muscat Director of Country Health Policies and Systems, WHO/Europe Sophie Eicher EUPHAnxt Speakers/Panellists Ian Power Advisor to the Minister for Mental Health, Ireland Marta Puciłowska-Schielmann Vice president, Institute of Digital Citizenship, Poland Marie Padam Folker Director, Centre for Digital Psychiatry, Denmark Silja Kosola Research Director, Adolescent Mental Health, University of Helsinki, Finland Ledia Lazëri Regional Adviser for Mental Health, WHO/Europe Ewout van Ginneken Director European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

The following chapter explores technology facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) among adolescents with a particular focus on its conceptualization, prevalence, impact, and coping strategies. Various forms of TFSV are discussed, including online sexual harassment (OSH), image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), sexual aggression and coercion (SAC), and harassment based on gender and sexuality (HBGS). The gendered nature of TFSV is highlighted, with girls being more vulnerable to victimization and boys more likely to perpetrate. It also analyzes the detrimental effects of TFSV on adolescents' mental health, well-being, social and academic functioning. Additionally, the chapter draws attention to the challenges of identifying and researching TFSV due to underreporting and the evolving nature of technology. It concludes by emphasizing the need for comprehensive prevention and intervention strategies to address this pervasive and serious social phenomenon.

This unique qualitative study updates current literature on gangs and sexual violence by incorporating digital practices. This study applies the framework of technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) which combines cyberstalking, coerced sexting, online sexual harassment, and sextortion, to the lived experience of young people in and around gangs in London. Findings are generated from a study that took place January–July 2015, which involved 240 young people taking part in 12 focus groups. Data is triangulated with content analysis of social media sites belonging to local gangs. Exploration of patriarchal and gendered practices that normalize sexual violence in gangs on and offline will be discussed. The link between gangs, TFSV, and criminal exploitation will also be established.

Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) refers to a range of unwanted sexually related behaviors communicated and transmitted through digital technologies, including digital sexual harassment, image-based sexual abuse, sexual aggression and/or coercion, and gender and/or sexuality-based harassment. This study, based on a sample of 1246 undergraduate students (688 women, 558 men) aged 17-25years in China, investigated the incidence of TFSV victimization and perpetration and their associations with mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) and alcohol use. Participants completed the TFSV 21-item scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and Alcohol Use Scale. Results showed that the overall victimization incidence was 69.2% (69.6% for women and 68.6% for men) and the overall perpetration incidence was 31.7% (26.6% for women and 38.0% for men). The perpetration incidence was significantly higher for men than for women; for victimization, a sex difference was not observed. Furthermore, participants who self-reported as TFSV victims tended to have higher levels of depression, stress, anxiety, and more alcohol use compared to non-victims. Victims who were also perpetrators exhibited the highest levels of mental health issues and alcohol use compared to victim only, perpetrator only, and neither (non-victim and non-perpetration). These results contributed new data on the prevalence of TFSV victimization and perpetration as well as their relationship with mental health conditions. Moreover, the high prevalence of TFSV and its association with negative mental health condition indicate the need for interventions aimed at reducing both perpetration and victimization rates in China.

Dating violence is a pervasive issue that has become increasingly complex to address as technologies mediating interpersonal connections become more widely utilized. The incidence and ways in which violence manifests through digital media are not fully understood. This study aimed to better understand the relationship between geolocational dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr and technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) among university students. An anonymous survey was electronically administered to a convenience sample of 1,000 undergraduates at a large private university in the southeastern United States. Participants indicated their dating app usage and the frequency of specific TFSV experiences they had encountered. Chi-square tests were conducted to identify relationships between demographic characteristics and experiences of TFSV. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to predict TFSV based on respondent characteristics. A total of 910 respondents completed the survey, with more than half (54%) of respondents reporting some type of TFSV while using dating apps. Women and non-heterosexual students experience significantly more TFSV than male and heterosexual students. While participants' academic year (first-year through senior) and participation in extracurricular activities were not associated with TFSV, dating app selection was a significant predictor of the likelihood to report TFSV, with Grindr users being significantly more likely to report. Major Implications Due to the near-ubiquitous use of dating apps in this population, interventions to address campus social norms, comprehensive sexuality education, and consent education, and improved regulation of TFSV by technology companies should be implemented- especially for cisgender, heterosexual women, and gender and sexual minorities.

Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV) is an understudied but prevalent phenomenon with initial research investigations demonstrating significant adverse consequences. TFSV is defined by unwanted sexual behaviors communicated and transmitted through digital means, which can include online/digital harassment, coercive sex-based communications, and sexuality-based harassment. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to examine prevalence rates of TFSV in males and females; (2) to assess the psychological symptoms associated with TFSV, and (3) to identify factors that could mitigate any negative psychological effects following TFSV victimization. Results indicated that overall prevalence rates of TFSV self-identifying victims in Canadian undergraduate students were 84.3%. Females were at increased risk of victimization, with prevalence rates as high as 87.9% and males reporting 74.3% as per the TFSV-V. Furthermore, self-identifying victims of TFSV tended to have lower levels of self-esteem and perceived control, and higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to those without TFSV experience. Regression analysis revealed that self-esteem, social support, and perceived control moderated the relationship between TFSV victimization and depressive symptoms. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further research investigating the impact of TFSV are discussed.