‘You Can’t Actually Escape It’: Policing the Use of Technology in Domestic Violence in Rural Australia

Bridget Harris,Delanie Woodlock

doi:10.5204/ijcjsd.2190

Abstract

The abuse of technology by perpetrators of domestic violence is ‘spaceless’; however, in this article, we argue that experiences of and responses to digital coercive control are shaped by both the place (geographic location) and space (practical and ideological features of a location) that a victim/survivor and criminal justice agency occupy. We examined this issue by conducting interviews and focus groups with 13 female victim/survivors in regional, rural and remote Australia. All participants had contact with police as part of their help-seeking for domestic violence, and some suggested that officers sometimes paralleled perpetrator behaviours, resulting in a narrowing of women’s ‘space for action’. We conclude that, in the interests of protecting and empowering women, socio-spatial frameworks must be considered by practitioners and researchers, and there should be a concerted effort to expand resourcing and training for justice agencies beyond the cityscape.

Highlights

Digital media and devices are increasingly used by perpetrators of domestic violence to coerce and control survivors
We provide an overview of our project and the methodology adopted for conducting interviews and focus groups with female victim/survivors in three Australian states (New South Wales [NSW], Queensland and Victoria)
We propose that the phrase ‘digital coercive control’ is employed to refer to the use of devices and digital media to demean, harass, threaten, abuse and stalk partners or ex-partners or associated targets

Summary

Introduction

Digital media and devices are increasingly used by perpetrators of domestic violence to coerce and control survivors. The connection between ‘place’, ‘space’ and ‘spacelessness’ has been largely overlooked in studies of digital abuse (DeKeseredy 2021a, 2021b) This is a significant oversight because, in non-urban zones, spacelessness, place and space restrict women’s help-seeking and ability to exit relationships (their ‘space for action’) (Farhall, Harris and Woodlock 2020; Kelly 2003; Sharps-Jeffs, Kelly and Klein 2018) and may elevate the risk of fatal violence, as we discuss in this article. Woodlock’s (2013) study was significant in gathering the largest national data, at the time, from victim/survivors and support workers about how technology-facilitated abuse manifested in intimate relationships Her survey revealed that perpetrators used digital media and devices to intimidate, isolate and dominate women (see Woodlock 2017). Our project Spaceless Violence and Advocacy: Technology-Facilitated Abuse, Stalking and Service Provision (Spaceless Violence) (Harris and Woodlock 2022) investigated women’s experiences of technology-facilitated domestic violence in regional, rural and remote areas

Methodology

Participants and Rurality

Findings

Conclusion