Fighting fire with fire : exploring the potential of technology to help victims combat intimate partner violence

Every country in the world has been affected by the epidemic of intimate partner violence. It is now known that technology facilitates intimate partner violence by enabling perpetrators new ways of abusing, controlling, harassing, and isolating their current or former partner. However, there has been a tendency to neglect consideration of the promise technology holds in combating intimate partner violence. Understanding how technology is being misused to facilitate intimate partner violence is critical to its prevention. However, it is equally essential to acknowledge the opportunities technology creates in protecting and empowering victims. The purpose of this article is to explore these opportunities. Importantly, it steers away from victim-blaming, simplistic, and often unhelpful solutions that expect victims to refrain from using technology. Instead, this article views access to the internet as a human right and focuses on innovative uses of technology that can allow victims to maintain their virtual identity while maintaining their online safety.