January 10, 2023
Tech…A Domestic Abuse Double-Edged Sword
All forms of domestic abuse center around the abuser exerting power and control over the victim to inflict pain and cause fear. Domestic abuse takes many forms, for example: physical violence, financial (by cutting off access to money and credit cards), and emotional (threatening to take children or harm pets). Abuse using technology adds another dimension.
An abuser may use social media to post or threaten to post compromising photographs or information or impersonate the victim. On- line accessing of bank or credit card accounts to track or control a victim’s spending is another tactic. Smart home technology can be used to control home heating systems or capture images from doorbell cameras. An unknowing victim can be tracked 24-7 by software or devices installed on cell phones or vehicles with the resulting information used to stalk, threaten and intimidate. A simple form is to isolate a victim by taking away or disabling cell phones and other devices.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that sometimes tech can be turned to the victim’s advantage. The internet can make it easier for a victim to obtain information and support to break the abuse cycle. Cell phones allow fast requests for emergency medical assistance and protection from law enforcement while allowing the victim to escape a dangerous situation. The ability to stay connected with friends and family using email, texting and cell phones disrupts the abuser’s tactic of isolating the victim.
In the past abuse was often difficult to prove because it was one person’s word against the other. Now victims may have the ability to have supporting evidence, especially of physical violence – for example, cell phone photos of bodily injuries and property damage, and transcripts or recordings of an abuser’s threatening texts, emails and cell phone messages. The abuser’s own computer may provide evidence to contradict their story and support the victim’s.
If abuse of any kind is an issue in your divorce case, your lawyer should be able to guide you about how to use technology to your advantage. That may be to support your legal case or combat or prevent further abuse.
This article first appeared in the January 5, 2023 edition of The Cheshire Citizen.
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