By Carolyn McKay

This open access book examines the impact of digitalisation processes on fair, accessible and inclusive criminal justice for vulnerable individuals. Based on original empirical data from an Australian Research Council funded national study, the book evaluates digitalised criminal justice, specifically, the increasing use of remote hearings and virtual courts, and the interrelationship with vulnerability. It asks: in what ways do remote communication technologies, such as videolinks, videoconferencing, and pre-recorded evidence, assist or disadvantage vulnerable witnesses, complainants, victims and defendants in the criminal justice system? By interviewing and surveying 175 Australian judicial officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers and affiliated professionals, the book examines the impact of digitalised criminal justice on all vulnerable individuals. Themes include the benefits and challenges to human connection, communication, comprehension and confidentiality, as well as court authority, cross-examination, and emotional expression. While there are certain universal and non-contentious experiences of videolinks, the key practical findings are sharply delineated between vulnerable witnesses versus vulnerable defendants. Theoretically, the book merges digital criminology with vulnerability theories to contribute understandings of ‘digital vulnerability’, that is, the interplay between digital technologies and vulnerable individuals in criminal justice. Digital Vulnerability in Criminal Justice provides critical and contemporary insights, and forward-looking recommendations for ensuring fair digitalised criminal justice into the future.

By Christopher Dowling and Laura Doherty

The production and availability of pornography has increased dramatically over the past few decades. Concerns have been raised regarding pornography’s influence on sexual violence, particularly among men, who constitute the majority of its audience. While a vast body of research has examined the association between pornography use and sexual violence, questions remain regarding the strength of this association, including among Australian men, and its underlying mechanisms.

Drawing on the survey responses of almost 2,000 Australian heterosexual cisgender men, the current study examined the association of intentional pornography viewing across the life course and self-reported sexual violence perpetration in the 12 months preceding survey completion. It also examined the extent to which this association is mediated by pornography’s effect on respondents’ attitudes towards sex and women. Findings show that more frequent intentional viewing of violent pornography is associated with a small but statistically significant increase in the probability of having perpetrated sexual violence. Meanwhile, the probability of perpetrating sexual violence does not significantly change with an increase in the intentional viewing of any (ie violent or non-violent) pornography. Furthermore, a portion of the relationship between the frequency of intentional violent pornography viewing and sexual violence perpetration is mediated by the degree to which respondents exhibit a promiscuous, emotionally detached orientation towards sex and hostile attitudes towards women. However, the importance of these mediators varies between respondents. This study provides valuable information to inform measures to prevent and counteract any potential negative impacts of violent pornography on sexual behaviour.

By Samantha Bricknell and Amy McDonald

The Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery National Minimum Dataset is anational data collection on modern slavery events. This study describes modern slavery reports received between July 2024 and June 2025, the characteristics of victim-survivors and perpetrators, the nature of Australia Government-funded support provided to victim-survivors and the outcomes of modern slavery prosecutions.

By Queensland Parliament. Education, Arts and Communities Committee

Responses to elder abuse, and opportunities to improve responses to elder abuse within the government, broader community, non-government and private sectors. The report provides 16 recommendations.

Key findings
Elder abuse often occurs in private settings, frequently within families, and remains underreported due to victims’ reluctance or lack of awareness. Evidence indicates that elder abuse stems from a complex and evolving environment, marked by ambiguous definitions and diverse causes. Contributing factors include family stress, social isolation and financial pressures. The committee noted pervasive ageism, whereby older people are at once undervalued yet expected to share their assets with younger generations. Data collection by government and funded services was found to be inadequate, inconsistent and poorly integrated across agencies. In addition to recommending that the Legislative Assembly note the report, the committee made 15 recommendations around the following key themes, to: improve data collection, management and reporting strengthen Queensland’s elder abuse prevention and response frameworks collaborate at a national level to ensure consistent reform.

By Alexandra Voce, Isabella Voce, Anthony Morgan

In the past 10 years, there has been a rapid proliferation of publicly available tools and applications (apps) using artificial intelligence (AI). While these tools have the potential to significantly benefit daily life, studies find there are growing concerns about the potential for AI technologies to be misused for criminal, nefarious or antisocial purposes. Little to no research has examined whether Australians believe they or their families will be personally impacted by crimes involving AI technology in the imminent future, and which specific AI technologies are perceived as posing the greatest risk of harm to individuals and their families.

This report examined data from the Australian Cybercrime Survey to measure the perceived frequency of AI-enabled crimes and which specific technologies pose the greatest perceived risk of victimisation. The findings highlight priority areas for industry safeguards and public education.