Journal
JOURNAL OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Volume 5, Issue 3, Pages 431-450Publisher
BRISTOL UNIV PRESS & POLICY PRESS
DOI: 10.1332/239868021X16290304343529
Keywords
technology-facilitated abuse; technology-mediated abuse; technology-enabled abuse; tech abuse; Internet of Things
Categories
Funding
- UCL Social Science Plus+ scheme
- UCL Public Policy
- PETRAS IoT Research Hub
- NEXTLEAP Project (EU) [688722]
- UK Home Office
- UKRI
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This study provides insights from semi-structured interviews with 34 UK voluntary and statutory sector representatives on technology-facilitated abuse in intimate partner violence contexts. Four overarching themes were identified, including technology-facilitated abuse, IoT-enabled tech abuse, data and assessment issues, and the need for specialist support capabilities in support services.
Technology-facilitated abuse or 'tech abuse' in intimate partner violence (IPV) contexts describes the breadth of harms that can be enacted using digital systems and online tools. While the misappropriation of technologies in the context of IPV has been subject to prior research, a dedicated study on the United Kingdom's IPV support sector has so far been missing. The present analysis summarises insights derived from semi-structured interviews with 34 UK voluntary and statutory sector representatives that were conducted over the course of two years (2018-2020). The analysis identifies four overarching themes that point out support services' practices, concerns and challenges in relation to tech abuse, and specifically the Internet of Things (IoT). These themes include (a) technology-facilitated abuse, where interviewees outline their experiences and understanding of the concept of tech abuse; (b) IoT-enabled tech abuse, focusing on the changing dynamics of tech abuse due to the continuing rise of smart consumer products; (c) data, documentation and assessment, that directs our attention to the shortcomings of existing risk assessment and recording practices; and (d) training, support and assistance, in which participants point to the need for specialist support capabilities to be developed within and beyond existing services.
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