We are a team of researchers who study how people behave and interact in digital spaces, especially when things go wrong. We are interested in understanding the psychological side of online issues like cyberbullying, stalking, and image-based abuse.
Our work looks at both the people affected by these behaviours and those who commit them, aiming to learn more about why these things happen and how they can be prevented. We also explore how professionals—like police and probation officers—respond to online harms, and how these responses can be improved.
We work with experts from different fields, including police, criminal justice services, and advocacy services, to make sure our research leads to real-world change. This includes creating training for professionals, helping shape public awareness, and contributing to policy discussions. Our goal is to make online spaces safer and more supportive for everyone.
Aims
- Advance understanding and systemic responses to cyber-enabled offences, including cyberstalking, online harassment, and image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), across policing, probation, and public awareness.
- Support systemic change to improve victim safety, enhance offender accountability, and reduce the prevalence of technology-facilitated abuse.
- Co-produce rigorous and actionable knowledge with survivors, practitioners, and policymakers to address the psychological and societal impacts of cyber offending.
Objectives
- Investigate the lived experiences of victims and witnesses of cyber-enabled abuse, including IBSA, cyberstalking, and online harassment.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of police and probation responses.
- Develop an evidence base to inform the design of interventions for:
- Prevention of cyber offending
- Support and safeguarding of victims
- Rehabilitation and management of offenders
- Engage in knowledge exchange activities including:
- Training for frontline practitioners (police, probation, support services)
- Media engagement to raise public awareness and challenge harmful norms
- Contributions to legislative and policy reform forums
- Promote ethical and trauma-informed approaches to research and intervention in digital abuse contexts.
