Campaign raises awareness of the link between cyberstalking and domestic abuse
“Everything you do online leaves a trace” is the theme of Domestic Abuse Awareness Week in Devon and Cornwall which runs next week, (Monday 25 to Friday 29 November 2013) and highlights the growing problem of cyberstalking and its link with domestic and sexual abuse.
Working alongside Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon’s domestic abuse partnership – adva – has produced a set of simple instructions for victims, families, friends and professionals to ensure that online accounts, including social media channels, are as safe and secure as possible.
The documents are available to download online.
Stalking is a key factor in many domestic abuse cases and is predominantly committed by a former partner after a relationship has ended.
With the growth of internet use and the ever-increasing popularity of social networking sites, cyberstalking has opened up a whole new element of risk for victims of domestic abuse.
Abusive partners or ex-partners often have access to victims’ computers, tablets or mobiles and know their online and offline habits as well as their passwords and security questions.
Technology can provide perpetrators with an ‘extra tool’ to hurt, abuse or humiliate victims.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales, 2011/12, found that 10% of men and 18% of women over the age of 16 have experienced one or more incidents of stalking behaviour at some point in their lives.
Today, it is considered that most stalking cases include a ‘cyber’ aspect as stalkers use mobile phones, social networks, computers or geo-tagging – which is the process of adding geographical location to messages, pictures or data.
Laura Richards is Director of Paladin, the new National Stalking Advocacy Service which launched in July 2013 following the successful Parliamentary Stalking Law Reform Inquiry, resulting in stalking becoming a criminal offence in 2012.
She is a founder of the National Stalking Helpline and former head of Homicide Prevention Unit at New Scotland Yard.
Laura also developed the nationally accredited DASH Risk Assessment Model for police and other agencies and will be speaking at this year’s domestic abuse awareness week launch event at The Coaver Conference Centre, County Hall, Exeter on Friday 22 November 2013.
Laura’s presentation: ‘Making the links: Domestic Abuse and Cyberstalking’ will cover a range of topics including the definition of stalking and cyberstalking, the links with domestic abuse, how IT facilitates abuse, online and offline risks, golden rules for victims and key messages for professionals.
Laura said: “Stalkers steal lives and take lives and they will use any means, including technology, to stalk, harass, bully and control their victims. Cyberstalking can be terrifying and, ultimately, it can lead the victim into far greater physical danger when combined with real-world stalking.”
Also at the launch event will be three domestic abuse survivors who will recount their personal experiences. (See their accounts below).
Steve Slater, Devon and Cornwall Police Computer Forensics Manager will reveal that most cases go unreported because the victim is not aware they are being stalked or that they are committing a crime.
He said: “A big challenge is to educate everyone about how easy it is to be stalked online. We all know how to secure our homes and cars, but does anyone think about what they post, advertise or sign up to on-line?”.
Steve will also advise on how and why police can ‘stalk the stalker’.
Rachel Martin, a manager for the adva partnership, which is led by Devon County Council, said: “The internet and social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook make it a lot easier for perpetrators to find personal details online and use them to hurt and abuse victims. This is why we have produced a toolkit of simple instructions on how to improve online security, and we hope that by raising awareness of the problem we can help victims, or those at risk of domestic and sexual abuse to become safer.”
