Domestic violence charity Women’s Aid has held a day-long Cyber Stalking and Harassment Conference to discuss the impact of cyber stalking and harassment on women across England. The conference addressed wide spread concerns about rising levels of online stalking and harassment, with particular reference to the link to domestic violence.
In an online survey of survivors of domestic abuse:
- 45% reported experiencing some form of abuse online during their relationship, including through social networking sites or over email.
- 48% reported experiencing harassment or abuse online from their ex-partner once they’d left the relationship. 38% reported online stalking once they’d left the relationship.
- 75% reported concerns that the police did not know how best to respond to online abuse or harassment. This includes 12% who had reported abuse to the police and had not been helped.
Women’s Aid hosted this conference as part of their work to ensure the providers of services for survivors of domestic violence, the police and Government are responding appropriately to new forms of abuse online.
Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid said:
“For perpetrators of domestic violence, technology can provide them with an extra tool to threaten, control and humiliate. We are holding this conference to draw links between different forms of abuse and share best practice with our national network of members, who work to help and support abused women and children.”
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