A leading domestic abuse expert has warned how smartphones can be used by abusers to control their partners – but also as a means for victims to escape them.
Alessia Bianco heads up the Everyone’s Business team at the crisis support charity Hestia. She and her team work with employers to support victims of domestic abuse.
One in three women and one in seven men in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse at some point in their life. Two women are killed by a current or ex-partner every week.
Hestia – in partnership with Vodafone Foundation – released the Bright Sky app and website in 2018 to provide victims and concerned bystanders with practical support and information.
Now, Vodafone and Hestia have teamed up again to share some expert tips for how Brits can better secure their devices from the prying eyes of an abusive partner.
It comes as new research from Vodafone reveals three quarters (75%) of women have considered using their smartphone to escape an unsafe situation.
Vodafone’s research found that for women who have experienced abuse or been in unsafe situations, nearly nine in 10 (88%) who were able to connect with others online to discuss their experiences said this was vital for their mental health.
While 73% of people agree that websites and dedicated apps are helpful [4] for those impacted by domestic abuse, almost one in three (29%) would currently consider using apps or online resources for support if they or someone they know was in an abusive or unsafe situation.
A leading domestic abuse expert has warned how smartphones can be used by abusers to control their partners – but also as a means for victims to escape them (File image)
Around two-fifths (42%) of women said they would prefer to access support for abuse or safety issues online or on the phone, rather than in person.
The majority (68%) of women reported that looking up an issue online (e.g. via Google) would be their first port of call if they were concerned about something.
Alessia has worked in the domestic abuse sector for 15 years – a decade of which on the frontline, working in refuges and fielding calls from victims.
She believes that new and increasingly sophisticated technology in our lives can be used by both the perpetrators but crucially also the victims of domestic abuse.
While her charity regularly hears how spyware and tracking software is being used by perpetrators, apps like Bright Sky are a genuine life saver for victims.
Tech-based coercive control can seem caring and helpful, and these ‘red flags’ can often be overlooked during the exciting early stages of a relationship when emotions are higher.
A partner helping to set up digital accounts and apps by accessing login details may give perpetrators the ability to monitor an individual’s activity online.
Alessia said: ‘Domestic abuse is about power and control and what we often see at the start of a relationship is ‘love bombing’ – the perpetrator giving someone lots of affirmations. It is often during this time when it’s exciting and people are smitten that they miss the red flags.
‘Sometimes things move really quickly, the couple move in together, they’re engaged, next there’s a pregnancy. But then the abuser will start to change the ‘rules of the relationship’.
‘Often, it’ll start off being something really subtle with the perpetrator saying things like ‘why are you wearing that dress today? You should wear something different’.
‘They might start to control what the victim eats, and who they see. We often see victims and survivors who are moved miles away from their support network.
‘Then it might be ‘who is that texting you?’ or the victim may start to see their battery running out quicker than normal. But it’s all very subtle.
‘We speak to women saying they find tracker tags in their cars and in their bags. Perpetrators are using them and programmes like ‘find my phone’.’
The Bright Sky app and website provides information and support for anyone who may be in an abusive relationship or concerned that someone they know might be.
Two key features of the app are the quiz that helps users identify abusive behaviours and the journaling function, which allows users to document their concerns and abuse.
Alessia said: ‘The questionnaire is a yes/no quiz and depending on people’s answers it might say ‘you may be experiencing domestic abuse’ and give you some things to think about.
Hestia – in partnership with Vodafone Foundation – released the Bright Sky app and website in 2018 to provide victims and concerned bystanders with practical support and information (File image)
‘The other really useful aspect of Bright Sky is the journal. It allows you to share videos, voice-notes, pictures, evidence essentially to document the abuse you may be experiencing.
‘Many clients use the journal function specifically to document what’s happening around them, because perpetrators can gaslight and be really manipulative by saying things like ‘you’re misremembering, I didn’t do or say that’.
‘Bright Sky doesn’t store any of that information, it sends it to whatever email address you put, it could be an employer or a trusted friend.’
Alessia added: ‘But there is still a large percentage of people who are not tech literate, particularly older people who are often the forgotten victims of domestic abuse.’
