Women’s Aid call for legislation as abused women ‘stalked’ online by partners and exes
The organisation found 25 women who called its help- line and used its services had experienced overlapping forms of digital abuse.
There were 16 cases where offensive or threatening emails, text or instant messages had been sent to the woman, her family or her friends.
There were seven women who reported being tracked and monitored through technology on their personal computer and mobile phones.
A larger study in Britain found that 41% of abused women had experienced online and technology abuse.
Women’s Aid director Margaret Martin said new, all-encompassing legislation was needed to protect women from digital abuse and stalking.
“We know that abusive partners use the internet and social media to control and stalk women,” said Ms Martin at a conference on digital abuse of women in Dublin yesterday.
“Abusers often combine digital abuse with more traditional off-line stalking tactics such as following, damaging property, and abusive calls.”
She said some women have had personal details shared or lies spread about them and were impersonated by their abuser online.
“The very common form of digital abuse we hear about are damaging rumours being spread about women, both personally and professionally and having sexually explicit images and videos that were taken with consent posted online without consent [revenge porn].”
Ms Martin said the impact of such insidious abuse could not be underestimated. “Women feel that their privacy has been invaded and that they have no control over their lives.”
While the Women’s Aid snapshot was of a small number of cases, Women’s Aid knew the phenomenon was real and growing year on year, especially for younger women.
A recent EU-wide study on violence against women showed that 12% of Irish women and girls over the age of 15 had experienced stalking with 50% being stalked physically and online by a partner or ex.
Ms Martin said there was growing awareness in policy circles of the need to address cyber harassment and related harmful internet content and of its damaging impact on young people.
But awareness of the extent and impact of women being abused by their intimate partners was significantly lower and that must change.
Ms Martin said the organisation was collaborating with Her.ie, a website for Irish women, on a reader’s survey on digital abuse to build a bigger picture of how many women and in what ways women were being harassed and stalked online.
Pointing out that the conference was being held on International day opposing violence against women, Ms Martin said it was obvious that the current law was no longer fit for purpose.
She said the definition of harassment in law was complex and hard to prove and was rarely used to protect women being stalked by partners or former partners.
Fighting back
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
