Research released by the eSafety Commissioner has revealed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are commonly the victims of online abuse and restricted access to technology during episodes of domestic and family violence.
Commissioner for eSafety, Julie Inman Grant (pictured) said domestic and family violence frontline workers were interviewed as part of the research.
“They cited low digital literacy, limited understanding about how to help women experiencing tech abuse and a culture of sharing phones as placing significant barriers to seeking support,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“While we know technology-facilitated abuse has similar impacts on women of all backgrounds, it can be particularly challenging for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who fear being socially isolated from their community.”
She said elders, family and close friends were sought out for support, but were often unable to help due to their lack of technological expertise.
“This is why we will be working closely with communities to develop new online resources to assist elders and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women deal with this issue,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“The new resources will help elders better mediate tech abuse in the community, while face-to-face training and supporting resources will assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in recognising and dealing with technology-facilitated abuse.”
She said the resources would be available from 2020.
