New Resource - Judicial Toolkit: Resources on Technology Abuse

We are pleased to announce a brand-new toolkit on technology abuse for judges and judicial officers. As technology becomes more pervasive and is misused to stalk, harass, and abuse, it is more important than ever that judges and judicial officers understand how technology is misused in the context of these cases. Within this toolkit are guides, quizzes, and resources, written specifically for judges and judicial officers on navigating digital evidence and understanding technology misuse in the context of domestic violence.

This toolkit also contains resources on how judges can use technology to enhance efficiency in and improve access to the courts, increase accessibility for self-represented litigants, and examine the changing legal landscape as it relates to the rise of cyberviolence cases.

You can access the Judicial toolkit here.

Don’t forget to check out our other toolkit, specifically the Legal Systems toolkit, written for criminal justice professionals, and the Technology Safety and Privacy toolkit for survivors.

© 2019 National Network to End Domestic Violence, Safety Net Project. This toolkit is funded through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this web site and toolkit (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).

New Toolkit: Working with Survivors using Text or Chat

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:

• Assessing capacity and readiness for digital services

• Choosing a platform and a vendor

• Best practices for digital services

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.

Addressing Technology Misuse in the Context of Sexual Assault

Two new resources from Safety Net discuss Technology Misuse in Sexual Assault, and offer advocates and others working with survivors a tool for Assessing Technology Misuse and Privacy Concerns.

As technology becomes woven into every aspect of society, offenders misuse the technology in sexual assault. Just as the dynamics of sexual assault differ from domestic violence, the misuse of technology looks different when sexual assault occurs outside of an intimate partner relationship.

• A youth group leader might misuse online communities to groom victims.
• A supervisor might threaten to change an employee’s file in a company database.
• A caretaker might limit access to help-seeking through technology.
• A medical provider might threaten to share embarrassing information or images gathered in the course of treatment.
• Surveillance cameras and security could be misused by a landlord to gain footage of or access to a victim.
• A law enforcement officer could misuse a database to target potential victims.

More understood examples include the explosion in the production and sharing of child pornography, or nonconsensual sharing of intimate images or footage of sexual assault of adults over the Internet.

Privacy Concerns

In addition, sexual assault cases in the public eye can generate distressing comments on news stories and social media, and some survivors may become the target of online harassment, doxing or other retaliation.

Technology and Root Causes

Online spaces amplify existing attitudes and beliefs, and so can support rape culture through memes, viral posts, revenge porn sites, etc. At the same time, online advocacy and activism efforts have used online spaces to counter rape culture through awareness, events, bystander intervention and more.