Online Abuse Targets One in Three UK Women, Report Finds
A Refuge and EVAW report reveals 36% of UK women experience online violence, with rates soaring for younger and LGBTQIA+ women.
One in three women in the UK has experienced online violence against women and girls, according to a new joint report from Refuge and the End Violence Against Women coalition. The research, titled 'Dangerous by Design', is based on polling of 2,000 women aged 16 and over and exposes how harassment and abuse are now deeply embedded in digital life.
For women aged 16 to 24, the figure rises sharply to nearly half. This age group reported higher levels of harm across every category measured in the study.
Scale and Nature of the Abuse
The report breaks down the prevalence of different forms of online harm. One quarter of all women surveyed reported experiencing online misogyny or sexual violence. One in five reported harms suggestive of stalking, monitoring, harassment, or coercive control. Almost one in five reported experiencing image-based sexual abuse.
Young women face a particularly hostile environment. Among 16-24 year-olds, 38% reported misogyny and sexual violence, 30% reported harms linked to coercive control, and 31% reported image-based sexual abuse. Also, 21% of young women who use social media said they are recommended humiliating, degrading, or sexually violent content towards women most or every time they log on.
Compounding Discrimination and Post-Separation Abuse
The research indicates that online abuse is compounded by other forms of discrimination. LGBTQIA+ women and Disabled women are disproportionately affected.
| Group | Experiencing Online Misogyny/Sexual Violence | Experiencing Coercive Control/Harassment | Experiencing Image-Based Abuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGBTQIA+ Women | 57% | 46% | 42% |
| Disabled Women | 34% | 29% | 24% |
Of the women who reported experiencing online abuse, one in five said it was perpetrated by a former partner. For women aged 16-24, this rises to one in four. These findings expose how digital spaces are used for post-separation abuse, allowing perpetrators to harass and exert control even after a relationship ends.
The Role of AI and Calls for Action
The safety of artificial intelligence technologies emerged as a serious concern. Almost half of all women surveyed use an AI chat system regularly, a figure that jumps to 80% for women aged 16-24. Alarmingly, one in six women in that age group say they have received dating, sex, and relationships advice from an AI that they perceived as inappropriate, unhealthy, or unsafe.
Reflecting these concerns, two thirds of women surveyed are worried about AI enabling violence against women and girls. The same proportion lack confidence that the government is doing enough to regulate AI for women's safety.
In response, Refuge and EVAW are calling for urgent government action. They demand that Ofcom's guidance on violence against women and girls be made legally enforceable. The groups also call for mandatory Safety by Design standards for online services and robust AI regulation that prioritises women's safety. Janaya Walker, EVAW's Interim Director, stated the report is "a stark reminder of the ways in which online VAWG is a major feature of women’s everyday lives to devastating effect."
Gemma Sherrington, CEO of Refuge, argued that voluntary guidance for tech companies "lacks the force needed" to address the crisis. The report includes the story of 'Jane', a survivor whose intimate images were shared without consent on an online forum. She described how initial police responses were unhelpful, warning her off investigating the distribution of her own pictures. After legal action, both the regulator Ofcom and the police reopened their investigations into her case.
