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Submission to the Select Committee on Social Media and Online Safety This submission focuses on online harms to which domestic and family violence (DFV) victim-survivors are subjected. It emphasises that coercive and controlling behaviours enacted by perpetrators through technology cannot be viewed as isolated instances but must be understood as part of a pattern of abusive behaviours that intend to entrap those who are targeted. It is vital that digital coercive control (also referred to as technology-facilitated coercive control) is understood in the context of DFV. Some acts of digital coercive control may be readily and easily recognised by police, courts, platforms, and the tech industry, and may be outlined in user code of conducts or criminalised. However, other acts may be overlooked and, consequently, victim-survivors dismissed when they disclose, report, or seek assistance. We recommend that there is recognition of digital coercive control and for state agencies and tech companies and platforms to enhance their identification and response to this issue. There are extensive and devastating impacts of digital coercive control on a victim-survivor’s physical, psychological, and emotional wellbeing and health and sense of security. Offline harms cannot be divorced from online harms. Our lives are inextricable from the digital world and technology plays key roles in our lives, enabling education, employment, social interactions, civic participation and entertainment, leisure as well as management of health, finance, and household affairs. Furthermore, technology provides access to information and support – such as survivor collectives – which are highly valued by victim-survivors and can assist in help-seeking and accessing support. Additionally, digital coercive control can potentially signal ‘homicide flags’ – risk of fatal violence – such as obsessive behaviours, coercive control and stalking. We stress that it is not only intimate partne

Legal professionals in Australia are increasingly advising separated parents to use online parenting communication platforms, including in cases with domestic and family violence allegations. Despite this relatively new technology’s popularity as a potential solution for separated parents, scholars have only begun to explore users’ experiences. This is the first study to investigate domestic and family violence survivors’ perspectives. Through semi-structured interviews, twenty women shared their experiences using Our Children Australia with abusive former partners. Using feminist thematic analysis, it was found that Our Children Australia was beneficial for the majority of women (18 out of 20). However, the platform does not eliminate abuse. Some men used the technology to facilitate ongoing abuse. Participants also reported that legal professionals misinterpreted abuse conducted via Our Children Australia. Study participants provided valuable recommendations for educating family law professionals, technology developers, and designers to prevent such misuse. This study demonstrates how one form of technology can be used to improve survivors’ experiences communicating with abusers after separation., Thesis (PhD Doctorate), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), School of Crim & Crim Justice, Arts, Education and Law, Full Text

This is Harris, Dragiewicz and Woodlock's submission of the review of the online safety laws, administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. This submission advocates for an intersectional approach to developing and implementing any legislation in this space and then focuses on the cyber abuse scheme for adults and victim/survivors of domestic and family violence (DFV). It is informed our work in relation to domestic and family violence (DFV) and technology, conducted over the past seven years.

Goal 5 of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) prioritises gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls. Key to achieving this is addressing violence against women (VAW; see SDG target 5.2) and, we believe, understanding the role of technology in both enacting and combating VAW. In this chapter, we outline how technology-facilitated VAW threatens women's use of technology and discuss policies and practices of support workers and practitioners that aid safe use of digital media. We consider features of technology-facilitated VAW advocacy which differ from traditional VAW advocacy, using examples from the Global North and South. Information communication technologies (ICTs) are used by VAW advocates in a range of ways; to provide information and education about domestic violence, safe use of technology and negotiating the legal and criminal justice systems; collect evidence about abuse; provide support; and pursue social change. As the capabilities and prevalence of ICT and devices increase and access costs decrease, these channels offer new and innovative opportunities capitalising on the spacelessness, cost-effectiveness and timelessness of media. Nonetheless, technological initiatives are not perfect or failsafe. Throughout the pages that follow, we acknowledge the limitations and challenges of technology-facilitated advocacy, which could hinder application of the SDG.

Resistance to efforts to advance gender equality is a common feature of social life, whether in workplaces and other organisations or elsewhere. In this article, we review the typical character, dynamics of and contexts for resistance to gender equality measures. Resistance is an inevitable, although undesirable, response to efforts at progressive social change. Backlash and resistance to gender equality take common forms including: denial of the problem, disavowal of responsibility, inaction, appeasement, co-option and repression. Resistance may be individual or collective, formal or informal. Pushback against gender equality measures comes more often from members of the privileged group (men) than the disadvantaged group (women). Resistance is a predictable expression of the defence of institutionalised privilege, but it is also shaped by widespread discourses on “sex roles” and “post-feminism,” the methods adopted to advance gender equality and the contexts in which they take place. Understanding the character and dynamics of resistance and backlash is vital for preventing and reducing them.