A Digital Safety Dilemma: Analysis of Computer-Mediated Computer Security Interventions for Intimate Partner Violence During COVID-19

Title of the Paper

A Digital Safety Dilemma: Analysis of Computer-Mediated Computer Security Interventions for Intimate Partner Violence During COVID-19

Paper Information

• Subject Area: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Privacy and Security, Intimate Partner Violence
• Keywords: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), Technology-Facilitated Violence, Remote Support, Computer Security, Privacy Protection, Human-Computer Interaction, COVID-19, Emotional Labor, Remote Services

Research Background and Issues

• Issues or Challenges:

  • Lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the role of technology in intimate partner violence (IPV), creating additional stress for victims isolated with perpetrators.
  • Technology-facilitated violence includes monitoring, harassment, surveillance, and tracking, with victims often needing to seek help through devices that may already be compromised.
  • There is a lack of research on how to safely provide remote support services.

• Significance:

  • IPV violence has intensified due to pandemic restrictions, with a significant increase in domestic violence reports globally.
  • Remote technological interventions are crucial for addressing digital safety issues and expanding services for vulnerable populations.

• Research Motivation and Related Work:

  • Clinical Computer Security is a novel technical intervention strategy aimed at providing customized face-to-face technical support for IPV victims.
  • Existing practices, such as TECC clinics and Operation Safe Escape, have been disrupted by the pandemic, necessitating a shift to remote technical support services.

Solution

• Methods and Solutions:

  • Conduct qualitative research to analyze the performance of the Clinic to End Tech Abuse (CETA) in New York City after transitioning to remote services.
  • Data sources include 24 remote consultation records and 5 reflective focus group discussions with technical experts.

• Innovations:

  • Establish an initial framework for delivering technical support services remotely, especially for IPV victims.
  • Explore challenges related to safety, privacy, and emotional labor in remote service delivery.
  • Propose improvement suggestions to adapt remote services for post-pandemic expansion and implementation.

• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:

  • Analyze the protocol development process for transitioning CETA clinic consultations from face-to-face to remote services.
  • Use the Understand-Investigate-Advise (UIA) framework to execute technical interventions, emphasizing low-risk methods for assessing device and account security.
  • Apply reflective and reflexive methods to collect and process highly sensitive research data.

Research Findings

• Specific Findings:

  • Identified three major challenges in remote technical services: ensuring client and consultant safety, remotely assessing device security, and addressing new emotional and time burdens.
  • While remote services are less efficient, they offer potential for broader service coverage, particularly in complex device assessments.

• Advantages and Comparison with Existing Solutions:

  • Compared to face-to-face services, remote service models can reach more victims who cannot access on-site assistance.
  • New remote navigation methods can enhance victims' technical capabilities in certain scenarios.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • Data shows that remote services are less efficient than face-to-face services, but victims and technical experts maintain a certain level of satisfaction.
  • Remote services require additional information delivery, such as detailed safety guidelines provided through follow-up emails.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Remote services struggle to fully ensure the security of victims' devices and cannot guarantee that perpetrators are not monitoring consultations.
  • Proposed future directions include developing diverse communication methods to improve efficiency and build trust, emphasizing emotional labor, and constructing supportive organizational structures.
  • Further evaluation is needed on the long-term impact of remote services on victims, including potential increases in psychological and technical burdens.

Conclusion and Implications

• The rapid deployment of remote services in crisis contexts has facilitated ongoing support for victims of technology-facilitated violence.
• For all support service providers, balancing safety and efficiency, technology and emotional labor, and victim autonomy remains critical.
• Developing specialized tools and hybrid delivery models for vulnerable groups will be a key direction for future service expansion.