As technology continues to embed into everyday life, we are learning about groups of users who---due to life circumstances---face a higher-than-baseline risk of experiencing technology-facilitated abuse or suffering disproportionate harm from such abuse. Technology factors into their experiences in ways that can empower them or contribute to harm. Insights from research involving these "at-risk" users helps improve safety for those who can be disproportionately targeted or harmed, but also get ahead of threats before they become widespread issues. Since 2015, I've worked with many amazing collaborators to better understand the digital-safety experiences and needs of at-risk users, and to share what we've learned.

​

Overviews / Multiple populations

​​​​

• S. Heung, C. Weizenegger, M. Houtti, S. Consolvo, P.G. Kelley, T. Matthews, R. Shelby, K. Thomas, & A. Walker, "Who is At-Risk? Surveying the Prevalence of Risk Factors and Tech-Facilitated Attacks in the United States," Proceedings of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI '26, Barcelona, Spain, (2026).
   

• T. Matthews, E. Bursztein, P.G. Kelley, L. Kissner, A. Kramm, A. Oplinger, A. Schou, M. Sleeper, S. Somogyi, D. Szostak, K. Thomas, A. Turner, J.P. Woelfer, L.L. You, I. Zahorian, & S. Consolvo, “Supporting the Digital Safety of At-Risk Users: Lessons Learned from 9+ Years of Research & Training” ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction: ToCHI, (2025).
   

• R. Bellini, E. Tseng, N. Warford, A. Daffalla, T. Matthews, S. Consolvo, J.P. Woelfer, P.G. Kelley, M.L. Mazurek, D. Cuomo, N. Dell, & T. Ristenpart, "SoK: Safer Digital-Safety Research Involving At-Risk Users," Proceedings of the 45th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy: IEEE S&P '24, San Francisco, CA, (2024). 
   

• N. Warford, T. Matthews, K. Yang, O. Akgul, S. Consolvo, P.G. Kelley, N. Malkin, M.L. Mazurek, M. Sleeper, & K. Thomas, "SoK: A Framework for Unifying At-Risk User Research," Proceedings of the 2022 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy: IEEE S&P '22, San Francisco, CA, (2022).
   

• K. Thomas, D. Akhawe, M. Bailey, D. Boneh, E. Bursztein, S. Consolvo, N. Dell, Z. Durumeric, P.G. Kelley, D. Kumar, D. McCoy, S. Meiklejohn, T. Ristenpart, & G. Stringhini, "SoK: Hate, Harassment, and the Changing Landscape of Online Abuse," Proceedings of the 2021 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy: IEEE S&P '21, San Francisco, CA, (2021).

​

Youth / Gen Z

​

• D. Freed, S. Consolvo, D. Cosley, P.G. Kelley, E. Ricart, K. Thomas, & N.N. Bazarova, “Help-seeking and coping strategies for technology-facilitated abuse experienced by youth,” CSCW ‘25, (2025).
   

• A. Hassoun, I. Beacock, T. Carmody, P.G. Kelley, B. Goldberg, D. Kumar, L. Murray, R.S. Park, B. Sarmadi, & S. Consolvo, “Beyond Digital Literacy: Building Youth Digital Resilience Through Existing “Information Sensibility” Practices,” Social Sciences 14(4): 230, Special Issue: Promoting the Digital Resilience of Youth, (2025).​
   

• D. Freed, N. Bazarova, S. Consolvo, D. Cosley, & P.G. Kelley, "PROTECT: A Framework to Foster Digital Resilience for Youth Navigating Technology-Facilitated Abuse", Social Sciences 14(6): 378, Special Issue: Promoting the Digital Resilience of Youth, (2025).
   

• ​D. Freed, N.N. Bazarova, S. Consolvo, E. Han, P.G. Kelley, K. Thomas, & D. Cosley, "Understanding Digital-Safety Experiences of Youth in the U.S.," Proceedings of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI '23, Hamburg, Germany, (2023).
  ​

• A. Hassoun, I. Beacock, S. Consolvo, B. Goldberg, P.G. Kelley, & D.M. Russell, "Practicing Information Sensibility: How Gen Z Engages with Online Information," Proceedings of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI '23, Hamburg, Germany, (2023). [CHI Honorable Mention Award]
   

Content creators / Influencers

​

• P. Samermit, A. Turner, P.G. Kelley, T. Matthews, V. Wu, S. Consolvo, & K. Thomas, ""Millions of people are watching you": Understanding the Digital-Safety Needs and Practices of Creators," Proceedings of the 32nd USENIX Security Symposium: USENIX Security '23, Anaheim, CA, (2023).
   

• K. Thomas, P.G. Kelley, S. Consolvo, P. Samermit, & E. Bursztein, ""It's common and a part of being a content creator": Understanding How Creators Experience and Cope With Hate and Harassment Online," Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI '22, New Orleans, LA, USA, (2022).

  • [paper presentation] Thomas et al., ""It's common and a part of being a content creator": Understanding How Creators Experience and Cope With Hate and Harassment Online," CHI '22. [video runtime: 7m, 55s; presenter: P. Samermit]

​

People involved with political campaigns

​

• S. Consolvo, P.G. Kelley, T. Matthews, K. Thomas, L. Dunn, & E. Bursztein, ""Why wouldn’t someone think of democracy as a target?": Security practices & challenges of people involved with U.S. political campaigns," 30th USENIX Security Symposium: USENIX Security '21, (2021). [Usenix Security Distinguished Paper Award]

  • [paper presentation] Consolvo et al., ""Why wouldn’t someone think of democracy as a target?": Security practices & challenges of people involved with U.S. political campaigns," USENIX Security '21. [video runtime: 12m, 13s; presenter: P.G. Kelley]
     

• [presentation] S. Consolvo, P.G. Kelley, T. Matthews, & E. Bursztein, "Security & U.S. Political Campaigns: A Study & Expert Roundtable," Enigma '21, (2021). [video runtime: 20m, 47s; presenter: S. Consolvo]
   

• [white paper] S. Consolvo, P.G. Kelley, & T. Matthews, "Digital Security & U.S. Political Campaigns: Expert Roundtable," Google Civics Training Center White Paper, (Sep 2020). 

 

People targeted with hate & harassment (including image-based sexual abuse)

​

• M. Wei, S. Consolvo, P.G. Kelley, T. Kohno, T. Matthews, S. Meiklejohn, F. Roesner, R. Shelby, K. Thomas, & R. Umbach, "Understanding Help-Seeking and Help-Giving on Social Media for Image-Based Sexual Abuse," Proceedings of the 33rd USENIX Security Symposium: USENIX Security '24, Philadelphia, PA, (2024). [preprint on arXiv]
   

• M. Wei, S. Consolvo, P.G. Kelley, T. Kohno, F. Roesner, & K. Thomas, ""There's so much responsibility on users right now:" Expert Advice for Staying Safer From Hate and Harassment," Proceedings of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI '23, Hamburg, Germany, (2023).
   

• D. Kumar, P.G. Kelley, S. Consolvo, J. Mason, E. Bursztein, Z. Durumeric, K. Thomas, & M. Bailey, "Designing Toxic Content Classification for a Diversity of Perspectives," 17th Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security: SOUPS '21, (2021).
   

People targeted with online financial scams / experiencing financial insecurity

​

• J. Chanenson, T. Matthews, S. Consolvo, P.G. Kelley, J. McClearn, S. Meiklejohn, A. Roy, R. Shelby, K. Thomas, & A. Hassoun, "“It didn’t feel right but I needed a job so desperately”: Understanding People’s Emotions & Help Needs During Financial Scams," Proceedings of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI '26, Barcelona, Spain, (2026).
   

• M. Sleeper, T. Matthews, K. O’Leary, J. Woelfer, A. Turner, M. Shelton, A. Schou, A. Oplinger, & S. Consolvo, “Tough Times at Transitional Homeless Shelters: Considering the Impact of Financial Insecurity on Digital Security and Privacy,” Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI ’19, Glasgow, UK, (2019).
   

Survivors of intimate partner abuse

​

• T. Matthews, K. O’Leary, A. Turner, M. Sleeper, J.P. Woelfer, M. Shelton, C. Manthorne, E.F. Churchill, & S. Consolvo, “Security and Privacy Experiences and Practices of Survivors of Intimate Partner Abuse,” IEEE Security & Privacy Magazine: Sociotechnical Security & Privacy Department, 15(5), (Sep/Oct 2017), pp.76-81.
   

• T. Matthews, K. O’Leary, A. Turner, M. Sleeper, J. Woelfer, M. Shelton, C. Manthorne, E.F. Churchill, & S. Consolvo, “Stories from survivors: Privacy & security practices when coping with intimate partner abuse,” Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI ’17, Denver, Colorado, (2017). [CHI Best Paper]

  • mentioned in WIRED: Lily Hay Newman, "Tech can do more to help survivors of abuse. Here's where to start," WIRED, (Feb 1, 2017).
     

• [presentation] S. Consolvo, T. Matthews, K. O'Leary, A. Turner, M. Sleeper, J. Woelfer, M. Shelton, C. Manthorne, & E.F. Churchill, "Privacy and Security Practices of Individuals Coping with Intimate Partner Abuse," Enigma '17, (2017).

​

Women in South Asia

​

• N. Sambasivan, N. Ahmed, A. Batool, E. Bursztein, E. Churchill, L.S. Gaytán-Lugo, T. Matthews, D. Nemer, K. Thomas, & S. Consolvo, "Toward Gender-Equitable Privacy and Security in South Asia," IEEE Security & Privacy Magazine: Sociotechnical Security & Privacy Department, 17(4), (Jul/Aug 2019), pp.71-77.
   

• N. Sambasivan, A. Batool, N. Ahmed, T. Matthews, K. Thomas, L.S. Gaytán-Lugo, D. Nemer, E. Bursztein, E. Churchill, & S. Consolvo, ““They don’t leave us alone anywhere we go” Digital Abuse Challenges and Coping Practices Among South Asian Women,” Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI ’19, Glasgow, UK, (2019). [CHI Best Paper]
  ​

• N. Sambasivan, G. Checkley, N. Ahmed, A. Batool, S. Gaytán, D. Nemer, T. Matthews, S. Consolvo, & E. Churchill, “”Privacy is not for me, it’s for those rich women”: Performative privacy practices on mobile phones by women in South Asia,” Proceedings of the Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security: SOUPS ’18, Baltimore, Maryland, (2018). [2023 SOUPS Impact Award Runner Up & IAPP SOUPS Privacy Award]

​​

​​