DV Prevention month: Victim-survivors need unused phones urgently as tech-based abuse increases
1st May 2024: Half of all Australians experience tech-based abuse (TBA) in their lifetime, and one in three TBA victim-survivors said the perpetrator is a former or current partner (i). Tech-based abuse is growing rapidly (ii). This Domestic Violence Prevention Month (May), not-for-profits MobileMuster and DV Safe Phone have joined forces to call for Australians to donate their old working phones via www.dvsafephone.org.au to help Australia’s 2 million+(iii) domestic violence (DV) victim-survivors leave abusive situations and start a new life.
According to mobile recycling program, MobileMuster(iv), there are nearly 8 million unused, working mobile phones in homes across Australia. As DV victim-survivors’ phones are increasingly weaponised by abusers, unused phones lying at the bottom of drawers have life-changing potential to help domestic violence victim-survivors leave abusive situations.
Ashton Wood, Founder and CEO of DV Safe Phone, emphasised the critical difference a phone can make: “Mobile phones are built to give us freedom. However, for those experiencing domestic violence, their own phone can become an abuser’s weapon. A safe phone can be the first step towards freedom for those under the shadow of tech-based abuse.” Louise Hyland, CEO of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) and MobileMuster said: “To ensure all victim-survivors can rebuild their lives with safe technology, we need everyone’s help. If you have an old working phone lying at the bottom of your drawer, donate it to DV Safe Phone this DV Prevention Month. Your phone could change lives.”
MobileMuster is a long-term partner of DV Phone Safe, and this DV Prevention Month, MobileMuster is donating $30,000. This will help up to 400 victim-survivors get access to a new safe phone.
Ashton noted, “Tech-based abuse can be devastating. It has countless forms, but a few include threatening victim-survivors, tracking their location, controlling how they use the device – including their online banking. DV Safe Phone gives safe phones to frontline organisations, like the police, so we can equip DV victim-survivors with the essential tools needed to start a new chapter. We thank MobileMuster for their generous support for Domestic Violence Prevention Month.”
Jonathan McBride, senior sergeant of the Mooloolaba Police Vulnerable Person Unit advises, “If you are in an unsafe situation, help is available. You are not alone, you will be believed, and it’s not your fault. Call the police on Triple Zero (000) or find confidential information, counselling, and support by contacting 1800RESPECT.”
Louise Hyland, cautioned to only donate working phones to DV Phone Safe: “If you have a broken old phone, DV Safe Phone can’t rehome it. However, you can recycle it through one of MobileMuster’s recycling drop-off points or a prepaid postage bag.”
For information on how to erase an old phone, visit MobileMuster’s guidance for Android and iPhone Operating Systems (iOS).
For more information or an interview with Louise Hyland, CEO of AMTA and Ashton Wood, Founder of DV Safe Phone, please contact:
Georgie Mac Smith from Sefiani Communications
0408 642 248, gmacsmith@sefiani.com.au
About MobileMuster
MobileMuster is managed by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA). It is the product stewardship program of the telecommunications industry and is accredited by the federal government. It is voluntarily funded by major handset manufacturers and network carriers to provide a free mobile phone recycling program in Australia to the highest environmental standard. The program is committed to raising awareness and educating the community on repair, reuse, and recycling, and has donated over $1 million to support social impact initiatives like DV Safe Phone.
About DV Safe Phone
DV Safe Phone collects, repurposes and gifts mobile phones to victims of domestic violence (DV) through registered domestic violence and law enforcement agencies, safe houses and hospitals serving this vulnerable community in Australia. Our Safe Phones are then provided as part of an individual’s ‘safe’ or ‘escape’ plan’ offering a lifeline to call for help when it is needed most.
DV Safe Phone are currently sending out over 100 phones per week, to their network of over 350 agencies across the country.
About domestic violence and tech-based abuse
Results from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) latest Personal Safety Survey (2021-22) show that 11.3% or 2.2 million had experienced violence from a current or previously cohabiting partner.
Tech-based abuse is when technology is used to harm or abuse someone. It can happen as part of domestic, family and sexual violence. Every person’s experience of tech-based domestic, family and sexual violence is unique.
Examples include:
· harassing or threatening you online or with a digital device
· sharing or threatening to share an intimate image or video of you online without your consent, also known as image-based abuse or ‘revenge porn’ · cyberstalking
· controlling online communication
· restricting or controlling access to devices and online accounts
· financially abusing using technology.
(i) Powell, A., Flynn, A., & Hindes, S. (2022). Technology-facilitated abuse: National survey of Australian adults’ experiences (Research report, 12/2022). ANROWS.
(ii) eSafety Commissioner (2023) Technology-facilitated abuse: family, domestic and sexual violence literature scan, Canberra: Australian Government.
(iii) ABS (2023a) Partner violence, 2021-22 financial year- external site opens in new window, ABS, Australian Government, accessed 2 February 2024.
(iv) MobileMuster, AMTA MobileMuster campaign tracking results, 2023.