New research has found that online information about domestic and family violence is failing to keep pace with the growing use of technology to monitor, control and intimidate victims.
Technology has become a powerful tool of domestic and family violence, but victims searching online for help may find little practical guidance about some of its most serious forms.
A new University of New South Wales study found a significant gap between the prevalence of technology-facilitated abuse and the assistance available through government, community and commercial websites.
Technology-facilitated abuse includes using smartphones, apps, social media, spyware and other digital tools to monitor, control, threaten or harass another person.
It can include tracking someone’s location without consent, reading messages, monitoring social-media accounts, installing spyware, controlling access to devices or accounts, and sending repeated threatening or abusive messages.
UNSW researchers examined 306 Australian domains and collected more than 52,000 web pages containing material about domestic and family violence, online safety or digital abuse.
They found that about 70 per cent of abuse-labelled pages concentrated on hurtful comments, harassment and sexual abuse. Less than one per cent addressed conduct such as covert surveillance, economic abuse or longer-term patterns of control.
Australian research cited by the team indicates that 51 per cent of adults have experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated abuse. Among women stalked by an intimate partner, 54 per cent reported electronic stalking during the first incident.
Lead researcher Dr Rahat Masood, from the UNSW Institute for Cyber Security and School of Computer Science and Engineering, said many victims did not initially recognise that the conduct they were experiencing was abuse.
Common warning signs could include unexplained location tracking, monitoring through WhatsApp Web, browser spyware and pressure to share passwords.
“Any form of harassment, or any form of control over someone’s device or internet use, is technology-facilitated abuse,” Dr Masood said.
The researchers found that websites frequently directed victims to lawyers or health professionals but offered fewer practical tools for identifying abuse early or responding to particular circumstances.
Advice was often limited to general digital-safety tips rather than guidance tailored to surveillance, account control, financial abuse or privacy violations.
Hawkesbury records hundreds of domestic assaults
The UNSW research does not provide a separate estimate of technology-facilitated abuse in the Hawkesbury. Local police figures nevertheless show the broader scale of domestic violence in the community.
The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research recorded 234 domestic violence-related assaults in the Hawkesbury Local Government Area during the 12 months to June 2026.
That was a rate of 340.6 incidents for every 100,000 residents, about 70 per cent of the statewide rate. BOCSAR classified the local trend as stable over both the previous two years and the past decade.
The police data records reported or detected criminal incidents and does not reveal how many involved digital surveillance, account monitoring or other forms of technology-facilitated abuse.
Researchers said this was part of the problem. Technology abuse was rarely recorded as the primary complaint and police records were not structured in a way that allowed researchers to measure it reliably.
Technology and financial control
UNSW Associate Professor Kayleen Manwaring said digital abuse could also be concealed behind ordinary ownership arrangements.
Mobile-phone plans, internet accounts, smart-home systems and connected devices may be registered in the abuser’s name. Joint financial accounts can also enable one person to withdraw or move money, leaving a victim with limited avenues to recover it.
The researchers said better public information, earlier detection tools and clearer legal and practical guidance were needed.
The eSafety Commissioner provides information about technology-facilitated abuse and operates reporting and removal schemes for some forms of harmful online content. Anyone concerned that a device or account is being monitored should consider seeking specialist safety advice before making changes that could alert an abusive person.
Where to get help
The Women’s Cottage at 22 Bosworth Street, Richmond, provides free and confidential crisis support, advocacy and referrals for women and children in the Hawkesbury. It can be contacted on (02) 4578 4190.
For confidential national counselling and support, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or use its online chat service.
Information about recognising and responding to digital abuse is available through the eSafety Commissioner.
If someone is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).
Local crime data source: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
