Tech Abuse in the Pandemic & Beyond: Reflections from the Field, 2021

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Tech abuse is a widespread problem seen by advocates and legal systems professionals across the US. Our new report, “Tech Abuse in the Pandemic and Beyond,” shares findings from a needs assessment that included the participation of over 1,000 advocates and legal systems professionals. They told us that tech abuse increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Survivors and their communities also encountered additional barriers to safety, justice, and healing. Read the Full Report or the Executive Summary.

Key Findings:

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  • The most common types of tech abuse - harassment, limiting access to technology, and surveillance - increased during the pandemic.

  • Phones, social media, and messaging were the technologies most commonly misused as a tactic of tech abuse.

  • Internet of Things (IoT) devices, next generation location trackers, and other emerging technologies are increasingly misused in tech abuse.

  • Survivors’ lack of access to technology, sometimes called the “Digital Divide,” is a barrier to accessing services, legal support, courts, and other services and social supports.

Takeaways:

  • We should be prepared for the likelihood that tech abuse tactics adopted during the pandemic will not be given up easily.

  • We should work together to promote digital equity and tech safety.

Technology can amplify abuse but is also used strategically by survivors and those who support them.[1] Moving forward, we should bring this knowledge even more deeply into our work to respond to and prevent violence and abuse while supporting the well-being of providers.

Download the Executive Summary.

Download the Full Report.

Thank you to the dedicated advocates and legal systems professionals who took the time to complete our survey in December 2020 to January 2021. Related research on victim services throughout the pandemic highlights what we have always known: that advocates and service providers are resilient and dedicated. They shifted to new ways of using technology to communicate with survivors and each other while coping with profound personal, professional, and pre-existing societal challenges and inequities. However, there is a cost to excessive flexibility and creativity in burnout, vicarious trauma, and exhaustion.[2] We’re grateful for your responses and your work every day alongside survivors to increase safety, privacy, and healing.


This project was supported by cooperative agreement number 2019-V3-GX-K017, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.


[1] Freed, et al. (2017); Matthews et al. (2017); Dragiewicz, et al. (2018); Richard & Gray (2018); Douglas, Harris, & Dragiewicz (2019); Harris & Woodlock (2019); Messing, et al. (2020); Leitão (2021)

[2] Wood, et al. (2020)

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Technology Tools for Services and Remote Workplaces

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During a public health crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, when public health officials recommend “social distancing” to slow the spread of infection, technology tools may help support shifting to a remote workplace, mobile advocacy, and communicating with survivors.

In considering new technology, survivors must be at the center of our decision-making. This is true in ordinary times and must still apply even in a public health crisis.

  1. Consider what services can be done remotely with web chat or video calls. Read more about Using Technology to Communicate with Survivors During a Public Health Crisis, and see our Digital Services Toolkit, available in English and Spanish. Read more about best practices for survivors who wish to provide Digital Written Consent to Release Information. You can also view recordings of our webinars for Decision-Makers or for Advocates.

  2. Use tools that allow staff and advocates to work from home, including tools to allow staff and volunteers to communicate with each other (e.g. calls, instant messaging, video), and tools for sharing information while maintaining confidentiality (e.g. secure file sharing). Read more about Working Remotely During a Public Health Crisis. You can also view recordings of our webinars for Decision-Makers or for IT Staff.

  3. Beyond the use of technology, read guidance for domestic violence shelters and other organizations serving survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We know that with any type of public health crisis, access to services can be even harder for survivors who are seeking resources and support. By adjusting how we operate to meet the needs of survivors and advocates, while also understanding the risks of using technology, we can help to ensure that survivors and advocates have the information they need to get help, and also do their jobs to the best of their ability.

If your agency has any questions or needs further guidance on how to implement digital services. Please Contact Us. You can also reach out to the Capacity Technical Assistance team for any other COVID-19 related questions.

New Toolkit: Working with Survivors using Text or Chat

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Safety Net is happy to announce our new Digital Services Toolkit, filled with resources for local programs who are considering providing services via text, chat, video call, and other digital technologies. Whether your program is just curious, in the process of selecting a vendor, or wanting to improve the privacy and safety of services you already provide, this Toolkit is for you!

The resources include three sections:

In addition to written resources, we’ll be offering a series of webinars in late Spring covering these topics, as well as tailored technical assistance to answer any of your program’s questions. Contact us for more information.