“Technology Doesn’t Judge You”: Young Australian Women’s Views on Using the Internet and Smartphones to Address Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive social issue. Younger women tend to experience the highest rates of violence, associated with a range of negative health outcomes. Although interventions in health settings have shown promise, younger women may be reluctant to access services or discuss relationships with a health professional. Delivering an IPV intervention online or via a smartphone has the potential to overcome some of these barriers. Little is known, however, about how young women might perceive such an intervention, or what factors might influence its uptake. Drawing on focus groups interviews, we explore the views of young Australian women on using a website or app to address IPV. Azjen's Theory of Planned Behaviour is used to help understand the beliefs and norms around technology and help-seeking for IPV. Findings highlight the potential for technological interventions to become a valuable addition to the resources available to young women.

An online healthy relationship tool and safety decision aid for women experiencing intimate partner violence (I-DECIDE): a randomised controlled trial

“…2 Web-based interventions for women experiencing intimate partner violence have been suggested as an alternative to traditional face-to-face approaches that might overcome some of these barriers to seeking help. 4 An intervention delivered via the internet can be accessed privately, at a time convenient to a woman, 5 without the need to disclose to anybody that she is experiencing violence until she is ready to do so. The internet is increasingly being harnessed as a method of delivery for interventions to address sensitive, stigmatising conditions, 6 including mental and sexual health issues, which suggests that it could also be useful in the field of intimate partner violence.…”

“…However, little research has explored this possibility. Qualitative work with women who have experienced intimate partner violence suggests that websites and mobile device applications are an acceptable way to raise awareness and provide support; 5 however, there has been a paucity of robust evidence to support their effectiveness.…”

Women’s Experiences Receiving Support Online for Intimate Partner Violence: How Does it Compare to Face-to-Face Support from a Health Professional?

“…These include: fear of being judged or misunderstood (Chang et al, 2005); financial pressures; concern about the partner finding out (Hegarty & Taft, 2001;Rose et al, 2011); and a belief that IPV is a private matter (Hegarty & Taft, 2001;Othman et al, 2014). Qualitative studies show that similar barriers are faced by women trying to disclose to informal supports such as family and friends Trotter & Allen, 2009) Targeted interventions delivered via the internet have shown promise as an alternative method of support for women experiencing IPV (Eden et al, 2015;Glass, Eden, Bloom, & Perrin, 2010;Koziol-McLain et al, 2018;Koziol-McLain et al, 2015;Lindsay et al, 2013;Tarzia, Iyer, Thrower, & Hegarty, 2017;Tarzia et al, 2015), with the potential to overcome some of the barriers associated with accessing face-to-face services (Tarzia, May, & Hegarty, 2016). Although there has been increasing attention paid to the negative effects of technology on IPV victims including stalking, harassment and technology-facilitated abuse (Dimond, Fiesler, & Bruckman, 2011;Woodlock, 2017), there are also many positive aspects.…”

“…Although there has been increasing attention paid to the negative effects of technology on IPV victims including stalking, harassment and technology-facilitated abuse (Dimond, Fiesler, & Bruckman, 2011;Woodlock, 2017), there are also many positive aspects. For instance, providing that appropriate safety measures are in place (Matthews et al, 2017), the internet is anonymous and easily accessible at any time; important for women whose partners control their physical whereabouts (Lindsay et al, 2013) or who are uncomfortable with the idea of disclosure (Tarzia, Iyer, et al, 2017). The internet can also reach women who are restricted by physical disability or location.…”

“…Little is known about how survivors themselves perceive online support in comparison to face-to-face interactions. A recent study focusing on young Australian women (Tarzia, Iyer, et al, 2017) found that their views around addressing IPV using technology were positive, however, they did raise some concerns regarding the capacity for a website or app to deliver support with the same 'human touch' as a counsellor or specialist service. Expanding on this finding, this paper reports on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with n=8 women who took part in a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) of an online IPV intervention.…”