Group will warn how baby monitors and smart phones are being weaponised in situations of family, domestic and sexual violence

An eSafety workshop has been organised to improve awareness of how digital technology is used to abuse victims.

It will be held across New England with Armidale and Moree hosting the event.

READ ALSO:

It is part of the Armidale Domestic and Family Violence Steering Committee and The Moree No Violence Alliance.

Recent research by ANROWS, a national research agency focused on women's safety, indicates around one in five Australian adults are likely to have experienced tech abuse as part of a broader pattern of violence by a current or former intimate partner.

The eSafety Commissioner reports that perpetrators are using a range of low-tech and hi-tech methods to track their partner's or ex-partner's location, conversations, payments and appointments.

"This type of tech abuse is so harmful because it's like a spiderweb that binds a person to the perpetrator, often reinforcing very harmful and unequal power dynamics in a relationship," eSafety Trainer Paula Smith said.

"The abuse is often invisible to friends and family because the perpetrator is so skilled at manipulating or hiding behind technology to control, humiliate and demoralize their target.

"In many cases, it makes it even harder for a person to leave an abusive relationship.

"Perpetrators misuse devices designed to connect people to harass, stalk, intimidate and make threats.

The impact is often highly traumatic, eroding the target's confidence and sense of safety."

Local Solicitor and vice chair of the Armidale Domestic and Family Violence Steering Committee, Terri Coleman said that "family, domestic and sexual violence occurs in all Australian communities, and preventing it requires a coordinated, holistic response.

"The ADFVSC and eSafety are working together to train family services and health workers in Armidale to support their clients to respond to tech abuse as part of a broader approach to leaving abusive relationships safely," Ms Coleman said.

To report image-based abuse, visit eSafety.gov.au/report.

The eSafety group also provide free social media self-defence webinars about once a month to anyone who wants to know how to use in-built safety and privacy settings on social media.

This can help protect you from all sorts of online harms, including trolling.

For more information about tech abuse: esafety.gov.au/key-issues/domestic-family-violence

To register for the Armidale and Moree events visit https://www.123tix.com.au/events.

Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news and regular newsletters