The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

Intimate partner and sexual violence (IPV/SV) remain pervasive global public health issues. Prevention efforts typically occur at the primary level (promoting consent and healthy relationships), secondary level (encouraging bystander intervention and screening), or tertiary level (supporting survivors through reporting and access to resources). The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, including large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, presents new opportunities to expand access to information and potentially strengthen prevention efforts across these levels. However, little is known about how these tools are currently being used or evaluated within IPV/SV prevention. This scoping review synthesized 40 peer-reviewed articles, preprints, and conference papers published between 2017 and 2025 that examined AI chatbots in IPV/SV contexts. Twenty-six studies described the development of domain-specific chatbots designed to support survivors by documenting incidents of violence, facilitating or streamlining reporting to authorities, and connecting users with services such as counseling. In addition, general-purpose LLMS (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini) appeared to consistently produced evidence-based and accurate responses to questions related to IPV/SV. Findings suggest that AI chatbots may have a meaningful role in IPV/SV prevention; however, most existing applications focus on tertiary prevention after harm has occurred. This emphasis mirrors broader policy and service landscapes that prioritize crisis response over primary prevention. To realize the potential of AI in this field, future researchers should explore how chatbots and LLMs can be incorporated into primary and secondary prevention, particularly in strengthening education, promoting healthy relationships, and supporting early intervention.