Technology advancement and domestic violence victims
Misuse of ICTs by domestic violence perpetrators
Towards the future
Questions
List of References
Violence: “intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual against oneself, another person, or against a group of community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation”
Violence: “intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual against oneself, another person, or against a group of community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation”
Various types of violence:
self-inflicted (violence against oneself),
Interpersonal (violence against another person), and
collective (violence against a group of community)
A global social problem that exceeds cultural and socio-economic boundaries.
Research has shown that:
Research has shown that:
violence and injuries are the second leading causes of death in South Africa
SA has the highest statistics of gender-based violence in the world (this includes rape and domestic violence)
SA has the highest intimate femicide rate in the world
In SA, the mortality rates of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) – which also occurs in domestic violence context, is six times higher than the global rate
Factors responsible for high rate of violence in South Africa include: widespread of poverty, high rate of unemployment and income inequality, alcohol and drugs misuse, exposure to abuse in childhood, weak parenting, patriarchal notion of masculinity, etc
Factors responsible for high rate of violence in South Africa include: widespread of poverty, high rate of unemployment and income inequality, alcohol and drugs misuse, exposure to abuse in childhood, weak parenting, patriarchal notion of masculinity, etc
Other factors identified from across the world are: younger age, lower education, being unmarried, strength of social network, history of family violence
The single most powerful risk factor for becoming a victim of violence is to be a female– and the same is true across the globe
Domestic Violence: The definition varies across cultures, legal or advocacy contexts, but basically the term refers to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse directed against domestic partners
Domestic Violence: The definition varies across cultures, legal or advocacy contexts, but basically the term refers to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse directed against domestic partners
“intimate partner, husband, former intimate partner, family member, friend or acquaintance”
A frequent social problem that can affect any female, regardless of her age, socioeconomic or sociocultural status
In South Africa, violence against female is rife in all class and race groups, but white women, because of their level of education and financial resources are in better position than most black and coloured women (i.e. women of mixed racial origin)
ICT is a double-edged sword; it can be used as a tool to facilitate violence, as well as a tool to prevent violence
ICT is a double-edged sword; it can be used as a tool to facilitate violence, as well as a tool to prevent violence
The advancement in technology has complicated the issue of violence against females
Technology related domestic violence can take many different forms, and victims can experience sexual, psychological, or economic abuse and sometimes physical violence.
A project carried out in twelve developing countries including South Africa, revealed that technology related violence is on the increase
A project carried out in twelve developing countries including South Africa, revealed that technology related violence is on the increase
Victims experienced similar kinds of violations and harms around the world
The United Nations Special Rapporteur noted “that threats and death threats are frequently delivered to rights defenders through mobile phones, text messages, or emails”
ICT provides new and more extensive techniques for the control and abuse of females
ICT provides new and more extensive techniques for the control and abuse of females
ICTs enable perpetrators to send insulting, humiliating, intimidating messages and images from anywhere in the world.
This implies that physically leaving the perpetrators does not end technology related violence.
ICTs make it difficult for victims to identify and take action against the perpetrators
There is high rate of mobile phone penetration in South Africa, with 80% of the population owning a mobile phone and almost half of them being women
There is high rate of mobile phone penetration in South Africa, with 80% of the population owning a mobile phone and almost half of them being women
The probability that domestic violence victims use mobile phone and go online is very high
social networking platforms, and chatting such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.
Perpetrators misuse mobile phones to control, harass and stalk females – one of the most technology related violence identified in South Africa
Perpetrators misuse mobile phones to control, harass and stalk females – one of the most technology related violence identified in South Africa
Perpetrators misuse frequent phone calls and text messages – which can cause stress to the recipients, to monitor, harass, threaten, and stalk their victims
most perpetrators use a combination of:
calling and hanging up,
silent calls,
conventional calls, and
abusive calls
Such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. could be misused as a weapon to harm domestic violence victims.
Such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. could be misused as a weapon to harm domestic violence victims.
Social networking platforms can enable perpetrators of domestic violence to use emails or blogs to torment their victims.
These platforms have been used by perpetrators to intimidate, insult, and mobilize opinions against their victims, and this has led to some victims committing suicide.
Also, Social networking platforms of anonymity can enable perpetrators of domestic violence to create a false identify and continue to threatening their victims.
The consequences of misuse of ICTs by domestic violence perpetrators cannot be over emphasised.
The consequences of misuse of ICTs by domestic violence perpetrators cannot be over emphasised.
The majority of the victims suffer anxiety, insomnia, mental torment, stress, fear, and some times, physical injury
Some females have become homeless, jobless, hopeless, lonely, while some have lost their lives.
Necessary actions need to be taking to promote females’ safety and wellbeing in the digital age.
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