At Protective Group we find the use of Technology Abuse is prevalent in nine out of ten Domestic and Family Violence cases that are referred to us. Technology Abuse isn’t only prevalent when there is a breakdown in a personal relationship but can occur as normal abuse would, just not physical.
In our experience we see Technology abuse happening:
-Spyware being used when martial relationships end. Perpetrators often use children’s personal devices to load spyware software to track their ex-partners – often blaming mental health
-Ex-partners tracking there previous parent through GPS tracking devices on the vehicles and surveillance stalking.
-Secondary school students through “revenge porn”
-Online. Through email, messaging, social media, dating sites, and other platforms. Abusers who commit online harassment often do it to make you feel unsafe, humiliated, scared, or emotionally distressed.
-Cloud based programs where a Perpetrator can monitor their victim via cloud based programs such as icloud.
-Home based networks via WIFI/. For example, an abuser could remotely control the smart locks on your home, limiting your ability to leave the house or to return to it. A video doorbell could be used not only to monitor who comes to the door, but to harass them remotely or, in combination with a smart lock, prevent them from entering the house.
-Spoofing. Spoofing is a term that means masking or hiding one’s actual phone number so that another phone number (chosen by the user) shows up on the recipient’s caller ID.
The majority of Technology Abuse we see on a daily basis is from Domestic and Family violence matters. Far to often we see the perpetrator using easy to access over the country, or bought Online Spyware and GPS tracking devices, often we see the Children the target of where the use of these methods are used:
-GPS trackers inside Children’s toys
-Spyware downloaded on young children’s tablet computers
-Tracking devices disguised as gifts such as smart watches which have locations apps pre-programmed.
We see each day the perpetrator controls their victim and the physiological and emotional effect it has on the victim, the victim questions themselves every minute of the day “ am I being watched, are they looking at me”.
Even the most inconspicuous devices are often used: baby monitors being pre-programmed to listen to their victim, controlling home WIFI networks to turn on music at 3am in the morning or turning the heating on at the highest temperature.
This Silent Menace is the new frontier being used by the aggressor and they are becoming more cunning and confident each time our assessment team is faced with the silent predator.