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Technology-facilitated domestic violence: an interdisciplinary perspective

Please follow this link to view the symposium.

Join Deakin Network Against Gendered Violence for an online symposium discussing responses to technology-facilitated domestic violence.

Abstract

Technology-facilitated domestic violence (TFDV) is a growing phenomenon, with a range of behaviours used to infiltrate victim/survivors’ lives. TFDV warrants an interservice, collaborative response from criminal justice agencies, support services, and the community. This interdisciplinary symposium will provide perspectives from criminology and psychology on the current challenges associated with responding to TFDV both within and outside of the legal sphere. The symposium will commence with Jessica Woolley presenting preliminary findings from her research surrounding justice system responses to TFDV through protection orders. Jess will discuss the challenges police encounter as they impose civil orders and criminal charges in response to TFDV. Dr Elizabeth Clancy and Dr Bianca Klettke will then present on image-based abuse and provide an overview of their findings and challenges for practice. This panel aims to shed light on the responses to technology-facilitated domestic violence and image-based abuse, providing insight into how they may be enhanced.

Presenter bios

Jessica Woolley

Jessica Woolley is a PhD Candidate in Criminology, Research Assistant and Sessional Tutor at Deakin University. Jess’ PhD examines how the Victorian justice system responds to technology-facilitated domestic violence through family violence intervention orders. In 2021, Jess completed her Bachelor of Arts (Honours), focussing on help-seeking in the context of digital coercive control. Jess was a recipient of the 2022 Research Student Award issued by the International Society for the Study of Rural Crime.

Dr Bianca Klettke

Dr Bianca Klettke is a researcher and leading academic in the field of cyberpsychology, particularly technology-facilitated sexual violence. Dr Klettke’s recent research has focused on how to keep young people safe online, particularly online behaviours such as image-based abuse and cyberbullying. Within these areas, Dr Klettke’s research has helped to educate various bodies such as such as governments, schools, sporting codes, community and police services, as well as the parents of children and adolescents in order to promote evidence-based information to inform best outcomes in young people.

Dr Elizabeth Clancy

Dr Clancy is a psychologist and cyberpsychology researcher, and a lecturer at Deakin University, with an interest in the well-being and positive development of young adults. Her recent PhD focused on sext dissemination, including exploring motivations, associated traits and issues of consent in digital relationships, in which she has published three studies to date. She also has strong interests in cyberbullying, having developed the evaluation framework and completed the evaluation of the Cyber Cats program, along with creating an online education program for parents. An experienced program and project manager, Dr Clancy is highly experienced in program planning, program logic and evaluation for a range of family and school-based health promotion and prevention programs.