The growing reliance on technology can make toxic relationships trickier to navigate than ever before.
That’s according to the Avalon Center’s Director of Client Services Lacie Norris. Norris said understanding technology’s role is important during Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. Norris said abusers often use social media platforms to harass or impersonate survivors.
“It can both empower and absolutely increase the risks of abuse,” Norris said. “Some of the more negative impacts, or you know, misuse by abusers goes into things like surveillance and tracking.”
Norris said abusers can invade or restrict a survivor’s privacy. Abusers can use spyware to stalk and control victims. Coupled with online banking, Norris said a lack of privacy can lead to financial abuse.
“The financial abuse portion of that, like online banking, account control,” Norris said. “That allows abusers to restrict access to funds for survivors,”
The National Network to End Domestic Violence reports 97 percent of domestic violence programs nationwide report abusers use technology to harass, stalk, and control victims. Norris said cameras and social media can be powerful tools for abusers to further control and isolate victims.
“It forms a whole new level of control for that victim, they have no sense of autonomy,” Norris said. “Every move that they’re making, you know, if they know they’re being recorded, they know they’re being controlled in that way, they have no identity.”
Toxic behaviors as a product of social media are common today, Norris said, but problems surface when controlling behaviors do. Norris said abusers often use social media to isolate victims from integral support systems by blocking contacts and monitoring messages.
“Alternatively, for the victim, who is being so controlled, can see that their abusive partner is doing those same things, liking posts, photos of others,” Norris said. “And it builds even more insecurities for them.”
Norris said every situation is different and the center works with survivors on how to best address every relationship.
