As our world becomes more and more digital, one form of dating violence that has become prevalent is technology based abuse. Technology based abuse is far-reaching and is often used as an extension of in-person dating violence. Due to its long-lasting nature, it can be hard for the victim to escape. Technology is easily accessible, immediately available, and allows the user to remain anonymous in their actions. Unfortunately, this makes it an easy tool for perpetrators of dating violence to use to contact and harass their victims. One in three in the United States experiences dating violence in their lifetime, and a growing number of dating violence cases involve technology based abuse.
Types of Technology Based Abuse
- Monitoring, which involves threatening with the intent to cause fear and monitoring activities that disrupt daily life.
- Aggression & Humiliation, which involves leveraging information about the victim to cause fear or shame.
- Sexual Coercion, which includes non-consensual sharing of sexual content or behaviors, or exerting pressure to engage in sexual behaviors.
- Use of Generative AI to create sexually explicit content or “deepfakes” of people.
Warning Signs of Technology Based Abuse
- Partner monitors your social media constantly
- Partner insists on sharing passwords and accounts
- Partner engages in sexting (sending sexually explicit media)
- Partner threatens you
- Partner texts you excessively, asking for constant updates
- Partner monitors your location
- Partner is overly possessive and jealous
How to Protect Yourself and Respond to Abuse
Minimize the risk of your online presence being exploited. Ensure that you maximize privacy settings on social media, limit the information you share online, and utilize blocking systems to avoid unwanted contact.
Prioritize Your Mental Health
Depression and anxiety can make people more vulnerable to victimization, as these disorders make it harder to interpret and respond to these situations appropriately. Tending to your mental health is a way to protect against potential victimization by increasing the likelihood of recognizing and reacting to abuse.
Recognize the Harm of Technology Based Abuse
There is a tendency to view technology based abuse as an unimportant issue since it does not involve direct physical harm to the victim. However, victims report similar distress, including anxiety and depression, whether they are abused online, offline, or both. Victims are less likely to view technology based abuse as a “big deal,” and are less likely to report it than victims of traditional stalking. In 2019, only 23 percent (PDF) of victims of cyberstalking reported to the police, whereas 32 percent of victims of traditional stalking or combined traditional and cyberstalking reported to the police. Recognizing that technology based abuse is just as harmful as in-person abuse is the first step in responding to it effectively.
Resources for Victims:
- Issue a No Contact Order
- Call the National Domestic Violence hotline at 800-799-7233 (or 800-787-3224 for Deaf & Hard of Hearing support)
- If you are a teen, call the National Teen Dating Abuse hotline at 866-331-9474 (or 800-787-3224 for Deaf & Hard of Hearing support)
- Seek counseling – research has shown that most victims find counseling helpful
- If there are barriers to counseling or you want additional support, try peer support
- Call 988 for 24/7 mental health support