This Translational Fellowship project aims to provide a more detailed account of racially minoritised women’s experiences of Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV).
Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) includes – but is not limited to – online harassment, cyberstalking and image-based sexual abuse. This Translational Fellowship project aims to provide a more detailed account of racially minoritised women’s experiences of TFSV. The project will look at intersecting oppressions as well as the process of reporting the abuse to the police, and the barriers faced by those who chose not to report.
Methods
A mixed methods approach is being adopted for the research. This comprises a combination of semi-structured interviews and a survey with racially minoritised women who have experienced TFSV. The methods aim to highlight participants’ differing experiences, their help-seeking process and perceptions of TFSV.
Planned outputs
- Research report launched at an event towards the end of the project
- Condensed report for participants
- Academic and web-based publications to reach a broader audience
About the Translational Fellow
Dr Alishya Dhir is a researcher at the Police Foundation. Alishya completed her PhD in Applied Social Sciences at Durham University in 2023, with her focus being on youth image-based sexual abuse, the role of context and police discretion. She has been a researcher in the area of violence and abuse since 2018, working on projects such as the British Academy funded investigation into sexual violence at music festivals, as well as wider studies on domestic violence and minoritised experiences. Alishya has publications in the Journal of Gender-Based Violence, Violence Against Women, and Policing & Society. In 2025, Alishya was awarded a Translational Fellowship from the ESRC Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre to deliver this project.
About The Police Foundation
The Police Foundation is the only independent think tank focused exclusively on improving policing and developing knowledge and understanding of policing and crime reduction. The Police Foundation’s mission is to generate evidence and develop ideas which deliver better policing and a safer society. They do this by producing trusted, impartial research and by working with the police and their partners to create change.
Contact the research lead
If you would like get in touch about the research, please contact Dr Alishya Dhir on [email protected].