Digital Shadows: How Technology Is Reshaping the Reporting of Domestic Violence

Abstract

Domestic violence continues to be one of the most pervasive human rights concerns worldwide, yet it remains significantly under-reported due to fear, stigma, and limited access to formal services. The rapid digitisation of everyday life has introduced new dynamics into how survivors disclose and report abuse. This study examines the evolving role of technology in domestic violence reporting, focusing on the growing tension between technology as a tool of empowerment and as a mechanism of control. Drawing on recent empirical studies, policy frameworks, and evaluations of digital interventions, the review highlights three major shifts. First, new reporting pathways—such as online police portals, crisis chats, mobile safety-planning applications, and social-media disclosures—are lowering barriers to help-seeking and enabling survivors to document abuse on their own terms. Second, the same technologies are increasingly weaponised by perpetrators through surveillance, cyberstalking, harassment, and control of digital identities, creating heightened safety risks for survivors who attempt to seek help online. Third, unequal access to secure devices, digital literacy, and supportive environments shapes who can benefit from these emerging tools. The findings emphasise the urgent need for survivor-centred design in digital reporting systems, stronger privacy and data-governance standards, and inclusive implementation strategies that address the digital divide. By mapping both opportunities and risks within these “digital shadows,” the study provides a foundation for safer, more accessible and rights-based responses to domestic violence in the technology-driven era.