This is the first part of a series of posts on technology and advocacy with survivors of domestic violence. Many abusers use the Internet as a way to research methods to stalk and harass their victims, and we do not want them to access this information. If you have more specific questions, you can always contact the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence at (518) 482-5465.


Technology and Safety: Safer Practices for Clients and Service Providers

As domestic violence service providers, why do we need to know about technology?

• Because the women and other survivors that we work with are using technology. They use it to communicate with others in their jobs and personal live, and to find resources and support.

• Because abusers, sex offenders, stalkers, pedophiles, batterers, and other perpetrators are misusing technology tools against their victims.

• Because society is using technology it collect and disseminate information even when victims aren’t; for example, putting court records & voter records on the internet, putting sensitive information in large databases, etc.

The Technology and Safety Project at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) focuses on technology and safer ways of using it. The project also looks at how abusers use technology to stalk and harass their victims. The more domestic violence programs and advocates know about technology, its uses and abuses, the more prepared we all are to work with survivors of domestic violence.

Technology can be a great tool for survivors and service providers to use; however, some safety planning around technology can help protect a survivor. One example is cell phones. A cell phone can be a great life line for a survivor to be able to reach 911, or keep in touch with her friends and family. On the other hand, a cell phone also has a global positioning satellite (GPS) chip in it, which can be used by an abusers to track their victims’ movements.

By developing a basic understanding how technology can be used and abused, advocates and survivors can work on a safety plan that takes technology into consideration.

When talking about technology, it is important to look at all aspects of it. Fax machines, radio scanners, cordless phones, and other pieces of equipment can play an important role in assisting a survivor, even if these pieces of equipment are not the first pieces of technology someone would think of. There are steps survivors and advocates can take to use these pieces of technology in a safer manner.

Computers, the internet, email, social networking sites, and other computer based technologies, are what people tend to think about when talking about technology and safety. These items tend to have their own uses and abuses. However, even more basic forms of technology, like phones and fax machines, can be used as tools for abusing individuals.

Protecting Client and Program
Confidentiality When Using Email and Other Forms of Technology

Email & Web Forms

More and more survivors are using the internet to look for information and, sometimes, this might be their primary connection with the outside world, especially with how popular email is in today’s world. This may be especially true for victims and survivors who have a hearing or speech impairment.

Programs may want to think about having a web form people looking for information can fill out, or an email address such as hotline@domesticviolenceprogram.org for people looking for information to use.

Web forms and generic email addresses are a good way to protect advocates. Abusers may access to their victim’s email account, and they could find out who the victim has been talking to. That might put the advocate in danger.

Web forms are a safer means of communication for domestic violence programs, but having a generic email account may be a good way to continue a conversation with someone looking for help, were email may be an option of last resort.

If the program does decide to adopt a generic email account, they may want to add a signature at the bottom of the email, reminding people that email is not a confidential way of communicating and that a traditional land-line still is the most secure means of communication. Below, is an example of a possible signature:

Please be advised that email is not a secure or confidential way to discuss the violence being perpetrated against you or anyone else. For increased safety, please contact Your Local Domestic Violence Program at Your Local Hotline Number from a traditional corded phone.

Additionally, programs may want to add this signature to all email accounts, to help protect the survivor and the agency. Remember, anyone contacting a domestic violence program could be looking for help.

Using Blind Carbon Caption (BCC) is another good way to protect people’s privacy. When BCC is used, it hides the email addresses of everyone the email was sent to. This is a great tool to use when contacting a lot of people, such as volunteers, over email. Since many programs’ volunteers are survivors, they may want to make sure as much of their information as possible is kept safe and confidential, using BCC when emailing is one more way to help insure their privacy.

Programs may want to avoid using identifying names and other information when emailing each other and outside agencies about clients. It is possible for internet savvy abusers to hack into email accounts. Also, emails are easily forwarded to multiple people. It is impossible to guarantee that confidential information included in an email will not get passed onto someone who shouldn’t have access to it.

Cell Phones, Fax Machines, Using IP Relay and Traditional Telephone Land Lines
IP Relay

Reverse Number Lookup

Reverse number lookup is an easy way to find out a lot of personal information.

Reverse number lookup is kind of like using a phone book, only instead of using someone’s name to find a number, a person uses someone’s number to find out personal information about them.

How would this work in a domestic violence situation? Most phones these days, home and cell, come with caller ID. Sometimes, with more advanced caller-ID, the phone will show who is calling. Batterers can take this information and use “reverse lookup” search engines on the internet to find out addresses and other personal information.

Service providers may want to safety plan with their clients about how to effectively work around reverse number lookup. Beyond caller ID, fax machine headers and footers, as well as other documents often contain contact information such as client’s phone numbers. Service providers may want to double check to make sure none of that information ends up in the hands of someone who could turn it over to the perpetrator. Perpetrators

Traditional Telephone Land Lines

These phones still are the most secure form of communication, outside of meeting in person. They are more difficult to tap and cannot be intercepted the same way cell phones can.

Corded phones are more secure than cordless. Cordless phone signals have been intercepted in a variety of ways, from using a similar phone to using a scanner or similar piece of technology.

Cordless phones can be a great tool to have in the shelter environment. They allow the shelter staff to be able to walk around and interact with the people staying at the shelter, and listen for the hotline at the same time.

There are steps service providers can take to protect survivor safety. When an service provider is going to be taking down confidential information from someone who calls on the cordless phone, the service provider can switch to a corded phone (also known as a traditional land line) and unplug the cordless phone from the wall. Turning the cordless phone off alone may not stop the phone from broadcasting the call, but unplugging it will.

Using a cordless phone at a shelter can be very useful for service providers, just make sure to switch to a traditional land line, and unplug the cordless phone, when discussing confidential information as a way to help protect survivor’s privacy.

Cell Phones

Cell phones can be a great tool for domestic violence programs and survivors. However, programs and survivors need to be aware of the possible dangers.

If a survivor has a cell phone that was provided by the abuser, the survivor may want to get rid of the phone or turn it off when in the shelter. Removing the battery while the phone is off is another good precaution. This will most likely keep the phone’s GPS system from showing the abuser where the individual is.

If a survivor would like a cell phone, but doesn’t want the abuser to know about it, the popular “pay as you go” cell phones can provide a good option. By filling out the form with false information, and paying for the phone with cash, the survivor has created a way to have a safer cell phone, since it cannot be traced back to the survivor. The survivor may also want to block the outgoing caller ID on the phone. Instructions in the cell phone manual, or a cell phone service provider, should be able to help with this. By blocking the outgoing caller ID, the survivor’s number will not show up on the caller ID when the cell phone is used to place a call.

Service providers may want to think about how they use cell phones and what information they discuss while using them. Cell phone signals can be intercepted by various means, and there have been cases where perpetrators have used this to gain information about their victims.

Instead of using client-identifying information, service providers may want to stick to using very general language on their cell phones. One way programs can also talk in code. If Jane needs to talk Sara, while Sara is out of the office, about her client Joanne canceling her 2PM appointment. Jane can call Sara and say “Your 2PM appointment has cancelled. Don’t worry about rushing back from court,” instead of “Joanne can’t make it this afternoon, her child is sick, don’t worry about rushing back from court.”

IP Relay Systems

Using Internet Protocol Relay Systems, or IP Relay for short, individuals with hearing or communication impairments can communicate for free over the internet. Programs can also use these services when working with clients who are deaf or have some other kind of speech or hearing impairment.

When working with a client who uses a communication program such as IP Relay, it is a good idea for a service provider to have a secret pass word for the client. Impersonation is easy with these programs, and a secret pass word can verify that the service provider and the client are both present.

From http://www.ip-relay.com: IP-RELAY.com was the first service to offer deaf and hard of hearing persons the ability to place calls over the Internet. Calls terminating within the United States are placed confidentially and free of charge. Users have the ability to request a male or female operator based on preference. IP-RELAY.com users are not required to register or provide proof of disability. Calls can be placed either by the Call Now option which automatically connects to a relay operator at the click of a button or through the Custom Calling option which gives you the ability to customize communication.

IP Relay is very similar to using online chat, but it can also use video, the telephone or other devices to communicate. A domestic violence program may want to practice using the service to prepare service providers for this type of communication, since there is a third party involved in the conversation who is acting as a translator.

When using a relay service, there are some etiquette practices. Service providers should talk directly to the client who initiated the call, and not to the translator. Service providers should also listen and use the phrase “Go Ahead” which is a signal that the sentence is concluded and it is time for the other individual to respond.

Please check in for more posts on Technology Safety