As technology becomes more integrated into everyday life, it is also becoming more deeply embedded in patterns of coercive control, abuse and harm. Technology-facilitated abuse is no longer a separate or emerging issue. It is now a common feature of domestic, family and sexual violence, with perpetrators using digital tools to monitor, intimidate, isolate and control.

This presentation will examine the evolving landscape of technology-facilitated and online abuse, including cyberstalking, image-based abuse, smart home surveillance, location tracking, and AI-enabled harm. It will explore how these forms of abuse can extend violence beyond physical spaces and further compromise victim-survivors’ safety, privacy and autonomy.

Presented through a prevention lens, the session will consider how technology reflects and reinforces broader patterns of gender inequality, power, and control. It will also examine the responsibilities of platforms, technology providers, employers and institutions in addressing risk and reducing harm.

Alongside the risks, the presentation will highlight the positive role technology can play in prevention, early intervention and response. This includes opportunities to improve safety planning, build digital literacy, strengthen service responses and support victim-survivors to navigate abuse in increasingly complex online environments.

Grounded in White Ribbon Australia’s commitment to primary prevention, this session will offer practical insights for practitioners, workplaces, community leaders and policymakers seeking to better understand technology-facilitated abuse and respond in ways that are informed, proactive and survivor-centered.