In 2019, 72% of women who accessed support from Refuge services in the UK identified experiencing technology abuse, which can range from persistent telephone calls from perpetrators, being targeted via social media, having their location tracked or spyware installed in their homes.
Refuge provides specialist services to survivors of domestic abuse. You can find out more about their services here. You can read more about the report from Refuge here.
Victims of domestic abuse are often subject to their partners or ex-partners spying on their activities using their social media, smartphones or computers / tablets. In a previous blog we discussed strategies to stop your spouse or partner using technology to spy on you, your phone, social media or location.
We have also previously discussed in an earlier blog whether perpetrators can use smart speakers such as Alexa or Google Home to spy on their victims.
The Sentencing Council issued guidelines for all offenders who were sentenced for domestic abuse offences after 24 May 2018 which made domestic abuse in the home a more serious offence and included reference to the use of social media to carry out abuse. You can read more about these changes here.
We specialise in family law cases involving domestic abuse and we can advise on specific strategies to deal with technology abuse in the home.
