About this study:

The term tech abuse captures a wide range of behaviours, all falling under the umbrella of (mis)use of digital, connected systems to perpetrate abuse. It can include image-based abuse (which can now be created using generative AI), cyberstalking, and economic abuse to give a few examples. With the increase in methods of perpetrating this abuse, has also come the increase in attention from support services, governments, tech companies, and researchers. However, given the wide breadth of these behaviours, the demographics that they impact, and the range of individuals paying attention to the issue, an understanding of the full research field is necessary.

To gain this understanding, we have collected tech abuse research that has been published by academics, non-governmental organisations (including domestic abuse support organisations), those in industry, policy professionals, and (inter-)governmental agencies. These almost 3000 pieces of literature published up until the end of 2025 are being evaluated through a bibliometric analysis. This form of analysis is a quantitative method that is used to understand large amounts of scientific data. Here, we are employing methods of network analysis and topic modelling, and we aim to understand:

- The most prominent research themes within tech abuse,

- Collaboration patterns between authors,

- Research hubs using affiliate countries,

- Methodologies employed by researchers across sectors.

Our intention is to better capture the wide array of research being done in this area across the different disciplines and sectors. Specifically, we also hope to create a resource for tech abuse research that will further facilitate collaboration and consolidation to enhance understanding and prevention across disciplines.

Find out more:

If you would like to find out more about this study, please contact Madeleine at m.janickyj@ucl.ac.uk