Women being harassed and monitored online

A leading group assisting victims of domestic violence reveals Irish women are being harassed and monitored online, through mobile phones and texting.

Women’s Aid is  calling for new, all-encompassing legislation to better protect women from digital abuse and stalking and for a better understanding of the harmful and insidious nature of digital abuse.

The organisation held its national conference at Wood Quay in Dublin yesterday.

Director of Women’s Aid, Margaret Walker said: “Domestic abuse is about fear and control and perpetrators will use all and any means to harm their partners and exes.  In recent years, Women’s Aid has heard from women who are being harassed and monitored online, through mobile phones and texting.   We recently took a snapshot of the issue on our National Freephone Helpline and One to One services and found that women were experiencing digital abuse as well as offline abuse and stalking by a current or former intimate partner.   25 women had experienced overlapping forms of digital abuse including 16 cases where offensive or threatening emails, text or instant messages had been sent to the woman, her family or friends while 7 women reported that they were being tracked and monitored through technology on their PC and mobile phones.  A larger study in the UK found that 41% of abused women had experienced online and technology abuse.”