What is sexual violence through technology?
It’s sexual violence with a digital twist, refers to any time technology is used to effect or enable sexual harmwhether this is done online or ultimately in person. Examples include online sexual harassment, online stalking and image-based sexual exploitation (also known as non-consensual pornography). Technology-assisted sexual violence it can happen in two ways: active, where the harassment is aimed at a specific person, and passive, where it doesn’t target anyone in particular, but can affect people who encounter it.
The gender gap isn’t just an offline problem. Just as with “traditional” offline sexual violence, women are disproportionately on the receiving end. Research also shows that LGBTQ+ people face an increased risk of becoming victims of sexual violence through technology.
Dating apps and technology-facilitated sexual violence
About 30% of people in the United States report using a dating app – that’s about 80 million people! The reasons for using dating apps vary, from swiping for fun to wanting something casual to wanting to start a serious relationship. But, Using dating apps carries the risk of sexual violence through technologysuch as sending unsolicited inappropriate photos, making sexually inappropriate comments through the chat function, or escalating into stalking or face-to-face sexual violence. Although many dating apps have developed methods to protect users from sexual violence, unfortunately it is still happening at an alarming rate.
Online gaming and technology-facilitated sexual violence
A study published a few years ago describes how sexual violence occurs through technology in the context of online gaming. This may come as a shock to many people, especially older adults, who may be used to hearing about the dangers of chat rooms, social media, and dating apps, but not necessarily video games. Some key findings from the study include:
The attack landscape encompasses a wide spectrumfrom sexual harassment to rape to having sex with a child, it all happens through gaming platforms.
Some things never change: Familiar patterns from sexual violence research appear here as well, such as pre-offense alcohol use and grooming within established relationships.
Playing the game: Perpetrators leverage reputation and prestige in the gaming community to gain access to victims, bypassing normal coercion tactics altogether. This is especially dangerous when considering parasocial relationships that can occur with popular streamers or content creators.
“Live” methods are the go-to for the perpetrators: Voice and video calls are often preferred by criminals over texts or photos because they leave much less digital evidence behind. In this way, the perpetrators are more difficult to catch and the offenses are more difficult to prove.
The future of technology-facilitated sexual violence research
The field of technology-facilitated sexual violence research has made significant strides in recent years, but the honest truth is that there are significant blind spots in the literature. These gaps can have unfortunate effects on how we understand the issue!
Digital immigrants: The vast majority of research on technology-facilitated sexual violence focuses on youth, particularly college-age populations. But what about seniors who didn’t grow up with dating apps, social media and online games as we see them today? We know that middle-aged and older adults use technology socially as well, but their experiences of harassment, image-based abuse, and compulsive digital behaviors remain largely undocumented in the scientific literature. We simply don’t know how age shapes vulnerability, responsiveness, or help-seeking when it comes to technology-facilitated sexual violence.
One size does not fit all: Most existing studies are drawn from samples that do not reflect the full range of people who experience technology-facilitated sexual violence. Racially and ethnically marginalized communities, as well as LGBTQ+ individuals, often face complex risks, yet their specific experiences are underrepresented in this research area. Without this data, interventions and policies risk being designed for a small fraction of people.
Technology moves fast. Research is not always. Studies based on the platforms, terminology, and behaviors of five years ago may completely miss how tech-facilitated sexual violence manifests itself today, in new apps, encrypted messaging, AI-generated content, and evolving slang that signals harm to communities. Staying current is critical to research involving technology!
Key takeaways for sexual health professionals
Gaming is not specialized: Game of billions of peoplemeaning your customers probably game. Familiarity with the culture and language of the gameand space as a whole can help you better support a client who discloses that they have been sexually assaulted through technology in a gaming context.
Direct or indirect – it still has an effect: Even if your client has only been exposed to technology-facilitated passive sexual violence, it can still affect them, so it pays to be prepared to recognize and deal with it.
Preventive training is part of the job: If you know a customer is a gamer, uses dating apps, or is active on social media, then you can talk about risk awareness and digital security strategies.
Do you want to become an in-demand sexual health professional? Learn more about SHA certification!
