Session: Future Interventions: Examining Trends in Gender-Based Violence Service Provision and Technology (Society for Social Work and Research 25th Annual Conference - Social Work Science for Social Change)

This symposium will examine the current state of domestic and sexual violence services and generate discussion about the identity of the field, laying out the necessary steps to keep the future of sexual and domestic violence interventions helpful to survivors in a technology infused society. Demographically in the U.S., the population has evolved to include more racial and ethnic diversity, a stronger rural and urban divide, and several cultural movements have advocated for more equitable lives for women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. Even as political movements are taking place to advocate for equality, counter movements and backlash have emerged and established themselves institutionally to prevent further installation of rights. There has also been a shift to pervasive engagement of technology in all facets of life. Technology can assist with formal advocacy and services, and continue to offer valuable outlets for the social movements directed toward ending violence against women. Despite the positive opportunities brought about through political movements and the ease of technology, domestic violence and sexual violence have persisted transforming to reflect the changes of the time. Services for domestic and sexual violence highlight many of the existing tensions surrounding the adaptation of technology for improved safety. This symposium brings together four projects based on overarching themes surrounding how technology impacts domestic and sexual violence services: 1) survivors' needs being influenced by new technologies, 2) collective narratives generate public visibility and a need for further policy support, and 3) gaps in professional services and training to meet the challenges of a technology infused future. The first paper will present findings from a campus-based advocacy study that examined the role of technology in supporting students who have experienced domestic and sexual violence. Findings show that online help-seeking is vital for connecting to services and for service provision, even in environments where options for tech-based engagement are slim, and that advocate-survivor interactions must include attention to technology-based abuse. The second paper reports on individual interviews with shelter dwelling participants who received access to a free mobile device as a part of their services. Findings show persistent concerns with technology-based abuse, but also the use of these devices to establish a sense of safety through online networks for sources of social support, and survivors incorporating monitoring of the abuser to keep control of their own daily life and avoid contact. The third paper is an examination of the messaging and information provided to advocates during the COVID-19 Pandemic crisis through online communications. Researchers archived messages from the state coalition, news and media sources focused on the intersection of COVID & Domestic Violence, and searched social media for trends related to both themes. The final paper examines new forms of technology-based abuse and how patterns of intimate partner violence are associated with specific forms of technology-based abuse, specifically harassment, monitoring, and coercive threats. Discussion will draw from each paper to describe current challenges facing service providers, and recommendations for ethical and lasting changes for professionals working with survivors.