Same Misogyny, Smarter Machines: Incel Ideology, AI, & Dating Apps in DA

Technology & Domestic Abuse Practitioners Network:

Same Misogyny, Smarter Machines: The Role of Incel Ideology, AI, and Dating Apps in Escalating Domestic Abuse

Date: Tuesday 28th October, 10:00 – 12:00

Location: Microsoft Teams

Free training for anyone working in Nottingham City or County – chargeable (£15) outside these areas.

Do you work with survivors or perpetrators of domestic abuse? Do you need to know about technology and domestic abuse in your line of work?

Technology is evolving so fast that it is hard to keep up to date. Technology is driving new forms of domestic abuse with the countless ways it can facilitate a perpetrator’s coercive and controlling behaviours. This is a practice and tech-focused network event that will help you to build skills for supporting survivors or working with perpetrators of domestic abuse.

This session will be led by our guest speakers:

Professor Lisa Sugiura’s talk: Incels, Digital Technologies, and Emerging Threats to Women and Girls

This talk examines the growing influence of incel ideology in online spaces and its implications for violence against women and girls (VAWG), both on and offline, including domestic abuse. It will explore how misogynistic communities operate and spread harmful narratives, and how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR), are being used to create new forms of abuse, from digital sexual forgeries to virtual harassment and sexual violence. Practitioners will gain insights into the evolving nature of tech-facilitated abuse conducted by incels, the risks it poses, and the importance of a multi-agency, preventative response to safeguard victims and disrupt harm.

Professor Lisa Sugiura is a Professor in Cybercrime and Gender at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth. An internationally recognised expert in online gender-based and technology-facilitated sexual violence, she frequently appears in national and international media. Her research, funded by bodies including the UK National Cyber Security Centre, the Home Office, and Ofcom, explores online harassment, domestic abuse, and misogyny in manosphere and incel communities. Lisa has widely published on topics such as the online pharmaceutical trade, phishing, research ethics, rape culture, and online misogyny. She is the author and co-editor of Respectable Deviance and Purchasing Medicine Online (Palgrave Macmillan), The Incel Rebellion (Emerald Publishing), and The Palgrave Handbook of Gendered Violence and Technology.

PhD Researcher, Rachel Fletcher’s talk:

This presentation will explore how AI capabilities may be weaponised to perpetrate and escalate intimate partner abuse – through stalking, monitoring, and threatening behaviours – alongside the broader ways in which AI technologies may cause harm to individuals. It will also examine how AI is increasingly integrated into chatbots and dating apps, where it can be exploited to manipulate and deceive users.

Rachel Fletcher is a PhD researcher at the University of Huddersfield, where her work examines sextortion, stalking, and other forms of online criminal activity. She is also a member of the newly established Cyber-Research Network (CRN) at Huddersfield, which brings together researchers focused on cyber-related crime. She has published research papers exploring how technology can facilitate harm, with a particular focus on the risks posed by Artificial Intelligence.

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Please be aware that this session will contain reference to types of domestic abuse. It is recommended that the session is attended in a quiet and confidential space. If you are impacted by the content of the session, you will be provided with points of contact as part of your follow-on resources, and reference will be made to support options in the session.

Information on support is also available on Equation's Website: Get Help | Equation

Cancellation

Please note failure to attend the course without prior cancellation may result in a charge for your place. If you do wish to cancel, you can do so through your Eventbrite confirmation or by getting in touch with our team at training@equation.org.uk.