Technology-facilitated Abuse

Women’s Media Center defines technology-facilitated abuse as the use of technology to facilitate harassment, control, and abuse. In the context of domestic violence and sexual assault, online harassment and crimes are part of a larger system of abuse. The abuser is seeking power and control through physical control, fear, or isolation and to force someone into doing what the perpetrator wants. 

Through technology, perpetrators may: 

  1. Disrupt someone’s use of technology or steal private information, such as hacking into online accounts, locking them out to forbid them from using their technology devices, or stealing personal information or images.
  2. Impersonate someone by creating accounts on porn, dating sites, or social media and pretending to be someone else to defame or harass them or their friends and family.
  3. Show unwanted attention by sending explicit, unwanted, or harassing messages repeatedly through texts, messaging applications, online gaming platforms/forums, email, or other digital platforms.
  4. Monitor and track someone’s private life via devices or spying tools, such as monitoring computer or cell phone software, hidden cameras, GPS, etc. 

If someone is using technology to stalk or harass an individual, this is known as cyberstalking. 

Cyberstalking 

Cyberstalking can include: 

  • Faking or lying about one’s identity to initiate a romantic or sexual relationship. This is also known as catfishing.
  • Cyberbullying, which is the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices to threaten, harass, or humiliate another.
  • Sharing or threatening to share personal information about someone (including private photographs and private text or email conversations).
  • Sharing embarrassing, shaming, sensitive, or otherwise inappropriate content about someone, whether it is true or not.
  • Pressuring someone to send explicit images of themselves.
  • Taking sexually explicit pictures or videos of someone without their consent.
  • Trolling, or deliberately posting upsetting or provocative statements or photos to provoke others.
  • Unsolicited or unwanted sharing of pornography or pornographic images. 

 

To learn how to be safe while using technology: 

  • Tech Safety App: Educational resource to learn how to increase privacy and security while using technology. It contains information that can help users identify technology-facilitated harassment, stalking, and abuse, and includes tips on what can be done.
  • DocuSAFE App: Collect, store, and share evidence of abuse, such as domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, online harassment, and dating violence. Survivors can document abuse by logging individual incidents, including any photos, screenshots, or video documentation of threatening messages, harassing social media posts, unwanted repeat calls, or online impersonation, among other abusive behaviors. 

 

Resources 

Visit the Self-help and Crisis resources page for local and national resources for survivors of stalking and other forms of gender and power-based violence.