ABSTRACT

This chapter reports on the experiences of domestic violence services with the various technological ‘solutions’ that commercial security companies offer. Responses to domestic violence now often incorporate a technological element such as installing CCTV, providing personal duress alarms, sweeping for ‘bugs’, or deploying smartphone apps, and employing other devices. There are many companies that are aiming to sell technological responses that promise to improve the safety and security of victims. While this research investigation did not conduct an evaluation of any one technological ‘solution’ or product, it did gather evidence and reports from domestic violence service workers on their general experiences with the technological services sold to them by private security companies. The focus of this chapter is to give an overview of how tech-related services provided by commercial security providers either benefitted or hindered victims of domestic violence. As will be shown, there have been mixed experiences. Some technological services benefitted, empowered, and supported clients of domestic violence services, while also creating some new risks and concerns that need to be considered.