Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence: Rethinking Policing for Prevention and Early Intervention
Tracks
Ballroom 4: In-Person Only
| Tuesday, November 24, 2026 |
| 1:20 PM - 1:50 PM |
| Ballroom 4 |
Overview
Stephanie Witt, Queensland Police Service
Three Key Learnings
1. Prevention must replace reactive policing in responding to technology-facilitated offending
2. Policing responses must evolve in line with rapidly changing digital crime environments
3. Multidisciplinary, trauma-informed approaches improve outcomes for victim-survivors and investigators
Speaker
Ms Stephanie Witt
Detective Leading Senior Constable
Queensland Police Service
Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence: Rethinking Policing for Prevention and Early Intervention
Presentation Overview
Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) presents an escalating challenge for contemporary policing. Offenders increasingly exploit digital platforms to target, groom, monitor and harm victim-survivors, exposing many critical gaps in traditional investigative models. Current approaches—largely designed for reactive reporting of sexual violence—are not sufficiently equipped to respond to complex, technology-driven adult offending. This presentation outlines a proposed shift in policing strategy toward proactive prevention and early intervention. Central to this approach is the development of a multidisciplinary TFSV Taskforce, designed to identify and disrupt high-risk offending before escalation occurs. The model integrates behavioural analysis, advanced digital forensic capabilities, and embedded clinical expertise. This enables the early identification of high-risk offenders—particularly those aged 18–30 who demonstrate escalation patterns toward serial offending—while supporting timely, privacy-conscious evidence collection. Importantly, it also minimises re-traumatisation and improves engagement with victim-survivors. A strong emphasis is placed on trauma-informed practice, with embedded mental health clinicians supporting both victim-survivors and investigators. The approach also prioritises partnerships across government, non-government, and community sectors to deliver a coordinated and holistic response. By reframing the response from reactive investigation to proactive prevention, this model aligns with legislative intent and community expectations. It aims to reduce repeat offending, improve victim-survivor outcomes, and strengthen trust in policing in an increasingly digital landscape.
Biography
Detective Leading Senior Constable Stephanie Witt joined the Queensland Police Service in 1999 and was sworn in on 5 May 2000. She has served across rural Queensland in both Central and Southern Regions. Commencing investigative duties in 2004, she was appointed as Detective in 2008 and spent nine years in Child Protection and Criminal Investigation roles. She later specialised in behavioural analysis at Brisbane Headquarters and returned to investigative roles in 2018. She has applied advanced behavioural and risk assessment methodologies to digital and technology facilitated sexual violence investigations, supported early intervention and prevention through multidisciplinary, evidence-based approaches.