Aston University drives action to protect women from online abuse

The dark web is a concealed part of the internet which has become a growing space where women face targeted abuse. The number of people using it daily is more than you can imagine- with over 3 million people accessing it at the end of March 2025.

There has never been a more important time to combat abuse online than now. The study that helped kick this project into action showed there were nearly 70,000 incidents of abuse facilitated by technology between 2021 and 2024. Although men are also affected by online abuse, women aged 16 to 34 are the most targeted group. Shockingly many under 16s are also being affected.

With the scale of dark web use continuing to rise, Aston University has stepped in with tech company, Forensic Pathways, to create the CyberDiva (Dark Web Investigation of Violence and Abuse).

Among the tools created is one to help adults decode emojis. This will show adults how emojis can be used to hide abusive and inappropriate messages behind humour. These tools have been developed using the Forensic Pathways’ database of dark web intelligence to identify emerging threats and patterns of abuse.

via Unsplash

Leader of the project, Dr Anithan Chinnaswamy, said: “We wanted to develop resources that would help not only young women and girls, but parents with confidence to help their child navigate the world.”

She added, at the heart of it is “listening to the experiences of those affected by these issues”.

The fact that under-16s are affected by online abuse proves that, while children need to learn how to use the internet safely, adults must also be educated to recognise and address abuse early.

The tools in CyberDiva will help adults navigate an increasingly complex and dangerous digital world.

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It gained support from two specific individuals who have experienced online abuse, including Aston University alum and broadcaster, Harkirat Kaur Assi.

Harkirat was targeted alongside others by her own cousin in 2009. The harassment she endured included coercive control, catfishing, identity theft, and other forms of abuse.

Researcher Nina Jane Patel, also from Aston University, supports the project.

She explained that, while playing on a virtual reality game, she was “sexually harassed” “in a verbal sense” and then “surrounded by three to four male-sounding and male representing avatars” who “sexually assaulted (her) avatar”.

But Patel quoted – “it’s not just a game.”

Online abuse extends outside the internet. Dr Anithan Chinnaswamy said:  “It pours over into your physical world, into emotional and sentimental spaces. Into how you look at yourself and how you are in society.”

As efforts like this one led by Aston University continue to evolve, they offer a vital step towards creating safer online spaces for women everywhere.

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