Online influencers and new technology like AI are driving cases of violence against women and girls

A new report from the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection warns that online misogyny and artificial intelligence are creating new risks and making violence against women and girls harder to investigate. It says technology now features in almost every type of related offending, enabling abuse at scale and complicating safeguarding and policing.

The assessment identifies domestic abuse as the most significant threat and highlights image-based sexual abuse, sexual extortion and harmful behaviour between children. It says algorithms have likely helped amplify misogynistic content on mainstream platforms over the past three years, potentially shaping offline behaviour, especially among boys and young men. The report also points to repeat perpetrators and limited police capacity, and calls for earlier, proportionate and safeguarding-led intervention.