Online and Tech Abuse
Has anyone ever texted you repeatedly because you did not reply to them quickly enough? Have you ever received sexually explicit photos without asking for them? Are members of your team being subjected to revenge porn? Is someone demanding to know your whereabouts, doesn’t want you to go certain places, or implies that you “owe” them information about what you are doing or why, these are signs of an unhealthy, intrusive and abusive relationship. Is your firm’s What’s app messaging protocols in good shape?
In a rapidly changing tech enabled world, new anti-social, disrespectful, intimidating and demeaning behaviours are emerging which qualify as digital abuse. Increasingly in the light of the #metoo movement women are emerging from the workplace to announce that this has happened to them in relation to a senior member of their business, or even within the environment of political and intergovernmental organisations. It is being argued that this form of abuse is also clearly gendered, although the data on the gender breakdown of victim/perpetrator has yet to be interrogated in depth, as reporting this as a criminal offence is only just emerging with its inclusion in the Domestic Abuse Bill, currently before parliament in 2021.
It is important that organisations are clear about their codes of conduct, and lift their employee’s behaviour to their optimum level, with clarity around what constitutes harassment in this digital age. If your organisation needs help in building an appropriate protocol of protection, increased understanding of the way in which tech is being deployed in an abusive and controlling manner, and would welcome some training made available for induction and refreshment of ethical codes of conduct as employees or as public representatives, we are available to assist you.
