Project Team:
Dr. Hannah Guy
Principle Investigator
Dr. Keely Duddin
Co-Investigator
Dr. Jennifer Norman
Contributor, CPRL
Giles Herdale
Contributor, Digital Consultant
Holly Taylor Dunn
Contributor, Consultant in Trauma Informed Resaearch
Project Overview:
Our project addresses the challenge of recognising and responding to harmful online behaviours affecting teenage girls before they escalate into more serious abuse. While issues such as image-based abuse, online harassment, and digital coercive control are increasingly common, responses often focus on incidents once significant harm has already occurred.
One of the key challenges is that early-stage behaviours, e.g., persistent unwanted messaging, pressure to share images, or online monitoring, can be normalised or dismissed as typical adolescent behaviour. This creates a gap in which harmful patterns go undetected early and opportunities for prevention are missed.
There is also a gap between research and practice. While academic studies provide valuable insights, these are not always translated into tools that, for example, policing and safeguarding professionals can easily use. Our project aims to address this by combining existing research with practitioner insight to develop a practical framework that supports earlier identification and response.
Project Dates:
13th April 2026 – 31st August 2026
Outputs and Resources:
Associated Links:
- https://www.spritehub.org/rise-funded-projects/adolescent-tfvawg
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/spriteplus
RISE is funded via the UKRI’s R&D Missions Accelerator Programme and benefits from the support of the Network for Security Excellence & Collaboration (NSEC) and the SALIENT Hub.
