Countering Technology-Facilitated Abuse

Please Help Us Help Scam Victims Worldwide By Making A Small Donation To SCARS
Your generous contribution of Just $5 will help us continue to educate & support the victims of relationship scams.
You will be helping to support free scam avoidance education for adults & children, free victims’ assistance & support, free victim recovery programs, real advocacy on behalf of victims, online crime prevention programs, and so much more that SCARS delivers.
Click Here To Donate Now On Donate.AgainstScams.org

Countering Technology-Facilitated Abuse

Criminal Justice Strategies for Combating Nonconsensual Pornography, Sextortion, Doxing, and Swatting

A RAND® Corporation Research Report

Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA)

by Amanda R. Witwer, Lynn Langton, Michael J. D. Vermeer, Duren Banks, Dulani Woods, Brian A. Jackson

INTRODUCTION:

The proliferation of websites, social media platforms, and applications that enable users to interact virtually and often anonymously has given rise to new modes and methods of perpetrating harassment, abuse, and other criminal behaviors that compromise victims’ privacy and safety. These types of acts, termed technology-facilitated abuse (TFA), can involve the use or distribution of the victim’s personal information, which compromises the victim’s privacy and poses a threat to their safety. Efforts to combat these profoundly harmful acts are limited by a lack of awareness among the general public and criminal justice practitioners, impediments to investigation and adjudication presented by digital spaces, and laws and policies that have not kept pace with advancements in digital technologies. To examine this issue, RTI International and the RAND Corporation convened an expert workshop. The participants discussed the challenges, opportunities, and complexities faced by law enforcement and criminal justice practitioners in TFA cases. Using these discussions, the panel members identified and ranked needs for the public, law enforcement, and criminal justice practitioners to successfully identify and prosecute TFA cases. This report provides the prioritized list of needs and accompanying context from the discussion that resulted from this effort.

KEY FINDINGS

Raising awareness about the prevalence, costs, and harms of TFA is critical

  • Participants suggested developing a conceptual framework of TFA behaviors and providing school-based public education around internet safety. Participants determined that legislation, measurements of the harms and costs of TFA behaviors, and prioritization by leadership are key to ensuring that TFA cases are prioritized by law enforcement and courts.

Approaches to investigating TFA cases should acknowledge the harm done to victims

  • Increased coordination among law enforcement, lawyers, victims’ rights organizations, and service providers would encourage TFA victims to come forward with their cases and would empower them to make decisions about what path of recourse to take.

Criminal justice practitioners often lack the tools to address TFA cases effectively

  • Standards and training around the identification, collection, and processing of digital evidence would enable law enforcement to conduct thorough investigations of Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA) crimes. Instituting statutes specific to TFA behaviors, accompanied by sentencing guidelines that acknowledge the harms to and vulnerabilities of TFA victims, would allow prosecutors to ensure that TFA sentences are commensurate with harm and that victims’ needs are met.

Participants reported the critical importance of efforts to mitigate the significant, irreparable, and persistent harm experienced by Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA) victims

  • There is a need for research to evaluate the extent to which existing remedies mitigate harm, tools for the early detection of TFA, and methods for mitigating the effects of TFA and empowering victims.

Deterrence must be at the core of efforts to address TFA

  • Statutes that criminalize Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA) behaviors might serve as a deterrent for some types of TFA perpetrators, although research is needed to better understand TFA perpetrators and the effectiveness of deterrence approaches.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Research the cost of doxing and the costs of emergency responses to swatting and associated risks to society.
  • Develop basic primary education for kids and parents about consent and the risks and consequences of sharing information online.
  • Conduct a survey about Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA) to collect data on victim response, effects on victims, and secondary injuries or personal harm.
  • Develop a conceptual framework or taxonomy for definitions of TFA so that criminal justice practitioners can recognize it and respond.
  • Identify approaches to incentivize law enforcement and prosecutors to prioritize TFA cases.
  • Develop training materials for law enforcement about TFA, the impact on victims, and the associated statutes.
  • Conduct research to understand the characteristics of perpetrators and what deterrents might be effective.
  • Require basic training around digital evidence among first responders.
  • Disseminate existing training regarding digital evidence and develop accreditation standards.
  • Conduct training on interviewing techniques for delicate or traumatic situations.
  • Establish TFA investigative teams or units.
  • Designate specific resources for TFA so that TFA investigations do not take resources away from other areas.
  • Conduct research and gather data to evaluate the harm of TFA and the effectiveness of remedies.
  • Develop methods and resources to mitigate the effects of TFA and support and empower victims.
  • Promote coordination about what the victim wants, their fears, and their experience among law enforcement, crisis providers, and lawyers.

THE FULL RAND REPORT

You may download your own copy of the report for personal, non-commercial use only – making it easier to read offline. Reproduction online is prohibited.

Witwer, Amanda R., Lynn Langton, Michael J. D. Vermeer, Duren Banks, Dulani Woods, and Brian A. Jackson, Countering Technology-Facilitated Abuse: Criminal Justice Strategies for Combating Nonconsensual Pornography, Sextortion, Doxing, and Swatting. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2020. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA108-3.html.

RESOURCES

 

 

TAGS: SCARS, RAND Corporation Report, Cybercrime Research, Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA), digital evidence, Online Abuse, Sextortion, Doxing,  Information About Scams, Anti-Scam, Scams, Scammers, Fraudsters, Cybercrime, Crybercriminals, Romance Scams, Scam Victims, Online Fraud, Online Crime Is Real Crime, Scam Avoidance

SCARS the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated

SCARS™ Team
Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
A Worldwide Crime Victims Assistance Nonprofit Organization
Visit: www.AgainstScams.org
Contact Us: Contact@AgainstScams.org

PLEASE SHARE OUR ARTICLES WITH YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY

HELP OTHERS STAY SAFE ONLINE – YOUR KNOWLEDGE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!

REPORT-BLOCK-RECOVER

REPORT-BLOCK-RECOVER

 

 

 

 

FIND MORE SCAM NEWS
SCAMCRIME.COM

FIND SCAMMER PHOTOS ON
SCARSONLINE.ORG

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK
CLICK HERE

MORE INFORMATION

Tell us about your experiences with Romance Scammers in our
Scams Discussion Forum on Facebook

FAQ: How Do You Properly Report Scammers?

It is essential that law enforcement knows about scams & scammers, even though there is nothing (in most cases) that they can do.

Always report scams involving money lost or where you received money to:

  1. Local Police – ask them to take an “informational” police report – say you need it for your insurance – get a police report number
  2. U.S. State Police (if you live in the U.S.) – they will take the matter more seriously and provide you with more help than local police
  3. Your National Police or FBI www.IC3.gov & FTC www.FTC.gov/complaint
  4. The SCARS|CDN™ Cybercriminal Data Network – Worldwide Reporting Network on www.Anyscam.com

This helps your government understand the problem, and allows law enforcement to add scammers on watch lists worldwide. Your reports are essential even if the police cannot take action!


To learn more about SCARS visit « www.AgainstScams.org »

Please be sure to report all scammers
on www.Anyscam.com

Disclaimer:

SCARS IS A DIGITAL PUBLISHER AND DOES NOT OFFER HEALTH OR MEDICAL ADVICE, LEGAL ADVICE, FINANCIAL ADVICE, OR SERVICES THAT SCARS IS NOT LICENSED OR REGISTERED TO PERFORM.

IF YOU’RE FACING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY SERVICES IMMEDIATELY, OR VISIT THE NEAREST EMERGENCY ROOM OR URGENT CARE CENTER. YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE FOLLOWING ANY MEDICALLY RELATED INFORMATION PRESENTED ON OUR PAGES.

ALWAYS CONSULT A LICENSED ATTORNEY FOR ANY ADVICE REGARDING LEGAL MATTERS.

A LICENSED FINANCIAL OR TAX PROFESSIONAL SHOULD BE CONSULTED BEFORE ACTING ON ANY INFORMATION RELATING TO YOUR PERSONAL FINANCES OR TAX RELATED ISSUES AND INFORMATION.

This content and other material contained on the website, apps, newsletter, and products (“Content”), is general in nature and for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice; the Content is not intended to be a substitute for licensed or regulated professional advice. Always consult your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider, lawyer, financial, or tax professional with any questions you may have regarding the educational information contained herein. SCARS makes no guarantees about the efficacy of information described on or in SCARS’ Content. The information contained is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible situations or effects. SCARS does not recommend or endorse any specific professional or care provider, product, service, or other information that may be mentioned in SCARS’ websites, apps, and Content unless explicitly identified as such.

The disclaimers herein are provided on this page for ease of reference. These disclaimers supplement and are a part of SCARS’ website’s Terms of Use

Legal Notices: 

All original content is Copyright © 1991 – 2021 Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. (D.B.A SCARS) All Rights Reserved Worldwide & Webwide. Third-party copyrights acknowledge.

SCARS, SCARS|INTERNATIONAL, SCARS, SCARS|SUPPORT, SCARS, RSN, Romance Scams Now, SCARS|INTERNATION, SCARS|WORLDWIDE, SCARS|GLOBAL, SCARS, Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams, Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams, SCARS|ANYSCAM, Project Anyscam, Anyscam, SCARS|GOFCH, GOFCH, SCARS|CHINA, SCARS|CDN, SCARS|UK, SCARS|LATINOAMERICA, SCARS|MEMBER, SCARS|VOLUNTEER, SCARS Cybercriminal Data Network, Cobalt Alert, Scam Victims Support Group, SCARS ANGELS, SCARS RANGERS, SCARS MARSHALLS, SCARS PARTNERS, are all trademarks of Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Contact the law firm for the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Incorporated by email at legal@AgainstScams.org

Share This Information - Choose Your Social Media!

Leave A Comment

Your comments help the SCARS Institute better understand all scam victim/survivor experiences and improve our services and processes. Thank you


Thank you for your comment. You may receive an email to follow up. We never share your data with marketers.