In the modern era, technology has provided abusers with new tools for control. This includes cyberstalking, harassment, and the invasion of privacy, often through the use of text messages, emails, or social media. It occurs when one person misuses technology to harass, intimidate, stalk and/or manipulate their partner. This allows one person to monitor their partner’s activities online and offline. When the abusive partner knows all the details of their partner’s life, they only gain more control. It becomes easier to harass, stalk, threaten and isolate.
What is Technology-Assisted Abuse?
Technology-assisted abuse is a tactic of abuse used to maintain power and control in an intimate relationship. It occurs when one person misuses technology to harass, intimidate, stalk and/or manipulate their partner. Technology-assisted abuse is just one of the many tactics used in a pattern of behaviors to maintain control. When using technology, a person can often stay anonymous. They can use fake names or avatars and use spyware that goes unnoticed. This allows one person to monitor their partner’s activities online and offline. When the abusive partner knows all the details of their partner’s life, they only gain more control. It becomes easier to harass, stalk, threaten and isolate.
Some examples of technology-assisted abuse are:
- Hacking into online accounts and locking you out of important accounts. This may limit access to financial information or isolate you from family and friends.
- Impersonating you on online accounts, changing important information or harassing family and friends.
- Sending harassing messages repeatedly through services like cell phones, texts, messaging apps or email.
- Monitoring and tracking you by monitoring computer or cell phone, using hidden cameras or hacking GPS, etc.
- Forwarding or posting intimate images without your consent, or using them as blackmail.
Strategies for Safety:
Safety is never a guarantee for someone who experiences abuse or harassment. However, there are steps you can take to guide your safety. Below are some strategies when using technology.
- Limit Publicly Shared Information- Reducing the amount of publicly shared information, like favorite restaurants and your current place of work, decreases the chances of harassment.
- Guard Personal Information- It is important to know how much information is available in order to know how to protect that information. Simply use a search browser to search your first and last name and see what information is revealed.
- Mute Accounts– Blocking an individual or deleting accounts may lead to further escalation. Muting an account will not notify the individual. The muting feature will just block all sent content from your feed and notifications.
- Use Private Online Accounts- Using private accounts gives better control over who can message and see your online content. Harassers would not be able to impersonate your identity with photo content. Your private life will only be shared with closest friends and family.
- Two-Step Verification- Upon creating online social media accounts, enabling two-step verification will ensure that any login attempts will require access to your cell phone’s text messaging service or email for confirmation.
- Validate Connections- When receiving an email, avoid opening links from email addresses that you don’t know or do not know well. Create a second email account to only use for email subscriptions and do not include personal information in case the account is taken over.
- Use Camera Covers- Use camera covers on phones and laptops to block the lens when not in use. This prevents a hacker from using them to invade privacy.
Technology can be both a weapon and a shield in domestic violence situations. Perpetrators may use technology to stalk and harass their victims, making it challenging for individuals to escape the abuse, including using location-tracking apps and social media to monitor victim’s whereabouts. Social media and messaging apps can also extend to harassing or threatening victims, making it harder for them to escape the situation. Threats may include using explicit images or videos to blackmail or shame their victims, which can be especially dangerous in same-sex relationships where the perpetrator may be outing their partner’s sexual orientation or gender.
On the other hand, technology can also serve as a lifeline for those suffering from domestic violence and provide avenues for help by connecting them with support networks and resources. Websites, apps, and hotlines offer immediate assistance to those in distress. Social media and online support groups can connect survivors to others who have experienced similar abuse, providing them with a sense of community and validation, even after leaving their abuser. Even AI is playing a crucial role in domestic violence by enabling innovative tools and chatbots that offer immediate support and resources to survivors, helping them take steps towards safety and healing. (womenwhocode.com)