What is TFGBV?

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence, often referred to as TFGBV, describes forms of abuse, coercion, harassment, or exploitation carried out through digital technologies and online environments.

These harms are often rooted in power, control, intimidation, discrimination, or gender-based violence, and can affect people across social media platforms, messaging apps, gaming environments, online communities, smart devices, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

TFGBV can happen publicly or privately. Sometimes it is obvious and direct. Other times it is subtle, persistent, and difficult to identify or escape.

While women and girls are disproportionately affected, TFGBV can also impact LGBTQI+ communities, young people, people living with disability, and individuals experiencing social or economic vulnerability.

• online harassment and intimidation 
• image-based abuse or non-consensual sharing of intimate content 
• stalking, surveillance, or monitoring through digital devices 
• coercive control using technology 
• impersonation, catfishing, or identity manipulation 
• threats, hate speech, or targeted abuse 
• AI-generated exploitation, including deepfakes or synthetic abuse 
• doxxing and privacy violations 
• manipulation through apps, games, or online communities 
• pressure, humiliation, or abuse designed to silence or isolate someone online

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) can affect anyone, but some communities experience disproportionate levels of harm, vulnerability, and exclusion online.

Women and girls are most commonly impacted, particularly in spaces where abuse, harassment, coercion, or exploitation are used to silence, intimidate, control, or isolate them.

TFGBV can also significantly affect:

• LGBTQI+ individuals facing targeted harassment, discrimination, or threats online 
• children and young people navigating unsafe digital environments 
• victim-survivors of domestic, family, or sexual violence experiencing technology-enabled coercive control 
• neurodivergent individuals who may be more vulnerable to manipulation, exploitation, or social isolation online 
• people living with disability who face increased barriers to safety, reporting, or support 
• culturally and linguistically diverse communities experiencing exclusion or targeted abuse 
• regional and rural communities with limited access to support services or digital safety education 
• public advocates, journalists, activists, and community leaders facing coordinated online intimidation or harassment 

TFGBV does not always appear as a single incident. It can involve patterns of behaviour designed to create fear, dependency, shame, isolation, or loss of control.

For many people, the impacts extend well beyond digital spaces and can affect:

• mental health and emotional wellbeing 
• education and employment 
• relationships and community participation 
• confidence and self-worth 
• personal safety and sense of freedom 

At AFK, we recognise that vulnerability online is often shaped by broader social inequalities and barriers that already exist offline.

That is why prevention, inclusion, digital literacy, trauma-informed support, and safer technology design all play an important role in reducing harm and strengthening community safety.

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence can have serious emotional, psychological, social, educational, and safety impacts that extend far beyond the screen.

For many people, the effects are ongoing and deeply personal. Online abuse can influence how safe someone feels in their relationships, communities, education, work, and everyday life.

TFGBV can contribute to:

• panic, anxiety, hypervigilance, or trauma responses 
• emotional distress, shame, or fear 
• social withdrawal and isolation 
• disrupted sleep, concentration, or learning 
• reduced participation in online spaces, education, work, or community life 
• fear of speaking up, expressing opinions, or being visible online 
• loss of trust in relationships, platforms, or digital technologies 
• increased vulnerability to coercion, manipulation, or ongoing abuse 
• long-term impacts on confidence, wellbeing, and sense of safety 

For children and young people, these harms can shape identity, self-worth, social development, and feelings of belonging during critical stages of growth.

At AFK, we believe people should not have to choose between participating online and feeling safe.

Digital spaces should support connection, creativity, learning, and opportunity, not fear, exploitation, or harm.

Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported, both online and offline.

At Away From Keyboard (AFK) Inc., we recognise that supporting survivors also means working to prevent harm before it occurs.

While we provide trauma-informed support and community education, we also advocate for stronger upstream protections across digital platforms, technology systems, policy, and regulation.

We believe responsibility for digital safety should not rest solely on individuals, children, or carers. Safer online environments require systems, platforms, and technologies designed with prevention, accountability, and human wellbeing in mind from the beginning.

AFK supports survivors and communities through:

• trauma-informed digital safety workshops and community education 
• support circles and safe connection spaces for victim-survivors and carers 
• practical guidance relating to digital safety, emotional wellbeing, and online risk awareness 
• school and parent education focused on recognising early warning signs of grooming, coercion, exploitation, and harmful online behaviours 
• advocacy promoting Safety by Design, ethical technology, and stronger protections for vulnerable users 
• contributions to national and international conversations focused on digital safety, ethical AI, and technology-facilitated harm, including engagement connected to the United Nations and World Intellectual Property Organization 
• raising awareness of how unsafe digital systems, manipulative design, and emerging technologies can contribute to emotional distress, exploitation, and community harm 

AFK’s advocacy focuses on prevention-first approaches that strengthen accountability and reduce harm before individuals and families reach crisis point.

We believe safer digital futures require more than awareness. They require safer systems, stronger protections, and communities that are supported to navigate digital life safely and confidently.

If you’re experiencing technology-facilitated gender-based violence or online harm, you are not alone.

AFK is committed to providing supportive, trauma-informed spaces where people feel heard, respected, and safe, without judgement, pressure, or blame.

We understand that every person’s experience is different. Our approach prioritises privacy, dignity, choice, and emotional safety while helping individuals and carers navigate the impacts of digital harm and unsafe online experiences.