Technology has supercharged backlash against women's equality

The widespread exposure of young children to violent pornography means many young people have no idea what a normal healthy relationship looks like 

Multiple studies indicate that violent, controlling and abusive behaviours have been normalised in intimate relationships and that perpetrators and victims are getting younger. File photo

Over 30 years ago, I attended my first training on domestic abuse. It changed the direction of my life. Since then, I have been involved in this field in different roles, with my work now being solely focused on the prevention of domestic abuse and coercive control.

I believed, as many of us did, that social progress was linear and that as equality increased levels of domestic abuse would decrease. It has now become painfully apparent that social progress is neither linear nor guaranteed.