called “revenge porn”), which can be obtained through use of wireless cameras. ● Spyware can be installed on devices to track browser histories and other online behaviors. ● Financial records are often accessible via internet, allowing perpetrators to monitor spending and access accounts. Regrettably, such experiences of technological abuse may cause survivors to avoid technology completely, even those applications which are designed to provide help and support to those affected by IPV (Afrouz, 2021; Clevenger et al., 2022; Rogers et al., 2022) . This may especially disadvantage survivors in rural or other resource-poor locations (Kim & Ferraresso, 2022) . Supporting survivors to safely use and employ technology to prevent further abuse and enhance recovery can be challenging for healthcare providers, especially when there are other concerns requiring attention. Advocacy agencies that serve IPV survivors can often be helpful in these cases as they may have established protocols for clients to follow for technological safety (Afrouz, 2021; Rogers et al., 2022) . The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) also hosts the Safety Net Project (www.techsafety. org ), which seeks to better understand and address how technology affects the safety, privacy, accessibility, and civil rights of victims. Several resources for improving technology safety are available, as well as access to useful safety devices, encryption software, and a toolkit for survivor safety and privacy. The following clinical vignette demonstrates how technology can be used by perpetrators of IPV, as well as how gender stereotyping and minimization of abusive behaviors can disempower survivors: Mrs. Smith had been beaten in front of the children by her ex-husband, Mr. Jones, and she was hospitalized. There were also allegations of sexual abuse of the youngest child, aged 3. Mrs. Smith was given a 3-year order of protection, and Mr. Jones was not permitted to have contact with the children; criminal action was also taken. Mrs. Smith was told that she had to give Mr. Jones information regarding the children’s adjustment and school activities, and that she had to respond to his emails. Mr. Jones continued to write statements such as “You are a bitch and you should die” and send at least 30 to 40 emails per day. He would post vulgar and threatening posts on her social media accounts with regularity, and similarly vulgar and threatening text messages were sent to her cell phone multiple times a day. The allegation of child sexual abuse was determined to be unfounded, and Mr. Jones was given permission to have telephone contact with the children. He continued to be sarcastic, aggressive, and condescending on the telephone when Mrs. Case Study 1 Jennifer, a 35-year-old woman, arrives at with her son Brian for a check-up. The nurse notices that Brian has scrapes on his hands and some partially healed bruising on the side of his face. Jennifer tells the nurse that he has been fighting Questions 1. Jennifer acknowledges that she and her boyfriend fight a lot but says she does not consider this abuse because he does not hit her or force her to have sex. What might the nurse tell Jennifer about the different types of IPV?
Smith answered. She was increasingly worried about answering her phone. The judge told Mrs. Smith that he was frustrated with Mr. Jones and had said to Mr. Jones, “Would you please try to behave? Stop being a bad boy!” ○ Mrs. Smith was obviously distraught because, although she had sought court intervention, Mr. Jones’s abuse continued. She also became upset every time she opened the emails to encounter the same kind of threats that she believed he would carry out if given the opportunity. The clinician assisted Mrs. Smith in notifying her attorney and the court about the continued violations. The attorney and clinician together advised Mrs. Smith to create a separate account, or “dead file,” in which Mr. Jones’s emails would go, and that she should not open them because they continued to be verbally violent. She should, however, comply with the court’s wishes and send an automated email to Mr. Jones once per week regarding the children’s schoolwork and adjustment. They further advised her to block him from her social media accounts along with individuals who were connected to them both on social media platforms. Since Mr. Jones did not visit with the children and therefore had no direct contact with them, or their school or doctor, this type of condition could work. In terms of the rude and disrespectful conduct on the telephone, Mrs. Smith (who had remarried) was told to email the following information to Mr. Jones: (1) he should call at an appointed time every evening that would not interfere with dinner or bedtime; (2) Mrs. Smith’s new husband would answer the phone or the children themselves would answer, if present; and (3) disrespectful behavior on the phone would not be tolerated, and if it occurred, Mr. or Mrs. Smith would say, “I am hanging up now,” and hang up the phone in the hope that Mr. Jones would call back when he could speak in a more respectful manner. He was further directed to contact the children via the landline. She then changed her cell phone number and blocked him and his acquaintances from her cell phone to avoid the threatening and vulgar text messages. Although still fearful of her abuser, Mrs. Smith was able to implement these actions, and although Mr. Jones continued to email her in the same fashion, his telephone manner was somewhat more compliant. This helped to decrease the tension, and the children’s acting-out behavior pre- and post-telephone contact diminished. Mrs. Smith was able to implement these technological boundaries successfully and with time was able to experience less distress as her direct exposure to him diminished.
at school and she is concerned that he may have some emotional problems or need testing for an individualized education plan (IEP). The nurse asks, “Is there anything going on at home that could be causing this?”
2. What is the potential connection between Jennifer’s health history and presenting signs and symptoms and her past and current intimate relationships? 3. Jennifer tells the nurse she is concerned about her son because he has not been doing well in school and gets in frequent fights with other boys in the neighborhood.
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Book Code: SWFL1825
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