Known perpetrator, intimate partner perpetrator, acquaintance perpetrator
Personal connection perpetrators are individuals who have or previously had a personal relationship with the victim. This category includes current or former intimate partners, parents, children, acquaintances, friends, online encounters, colleagues, or others who have some form of existing relationship with their target.
This category represents a significant portion of TFGBV cases - research shows that in Australia, one in three experiences of technology-facilitated abuse are perpetrated by a current or former intimate partner (Powell et al. 2022). The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative found that 57% of revenge porn victims reported their material was posted by an ex-boyfriend, 6% by an ex-girlfriend, 23% by an ex-friend, 7% by a friend, and 7% by a family member (Franks, 2016).
In one study, "30% of men who received intimate images believed that it granted them ownership" (Kaspersky, 2024).
Personal connection perpetrators often leverage their existing knowledge of the target's personal information, social networks, and vulnerabilities to maximize harm. They may also exploit shared access to devices, accounts, or living spaces that legitimate relationships provide. Personal connections employ "technology-facilitated coercive control" as an extension of domestic and family violence, using their intimate knowledge of the victim to cause targeted harm and access shared or private devices without consent (Douglas, 2019).
Low to medium - Personal connection perpetrators range widely in technical ability. Many employ readily available commercial technologies that require minimal technical knowledge (e.g., monitoring apps), while others with higher technical skills may utilize more sophisticated methods. They rely more on intimate knowledge of their target and social engineering than advanced technical skills.