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Technology Can Keep Domestic Violence Victims Safe
NNEDV's Technology Safety Training of Trainers program is designed specifically to give advocates tools and resources on how to apply life-saving uses of technology to assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition, the training will assist law enforcement and prosecutors in holding perpetrators accountable for misusing technology to stalk, harass and harm their victims.
For four days, advocates will be trained by nationally recognized experts in technology, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking on the strategic use of technology to enhance personal safety. Advocates will then take the tools and knowledge gained at the conference home to train members in their own community.
"The Technology Safety Training of Trainers equips victims and their advocates with the tools they need to safely navigate a hi-tech world," said Cindy Southworth, Director of NNEDV's Safety Net project. "We provide a wide range of advice to victims, from using safer computers such as those at public libraries or Internet cafes, to acquiring new wireless phones after leaving an abuser."
This is the sixth annual conference and is supported by the Verizon Foundation.
"We are proud to be leveraging our technology to assist survivors of domestic violence and law enforcement officials by funding the Technology Safety Training of Trainers program. We value our partnership with National Network to End Domestic Violence and commend them on their leadership role," said Patrick Gaston, President of the Verizon Foundation.
NNEDV expects nearly 100 domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking advocates to attend the training. The four-day training will include sessions such as "CSI Pittsburgh: Computer and Phone Forensics" and "Cyber Civil Rights" as well as hands-on stations and demonstrations about different technologies, devices and models.
"Technology is such an important tool for survivors and the information provided by NNEDV's Safety Net national Training of Trainers is beyond compare. We're pleased to have Cindy Southworth and Cynthia Fraser from the Safety Net Project in Pennsylvania this week - where their work to end abuse began and the Safety Net Project took root," said Susan Kelly Dreiss, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
NNEDV's Safety Net project, launched in 2002, is the leader in technology safety issues. Safety Net has trained more than 30,000 advocates, law enforcement officials and prosecutors on how technology can be used to increase the safety and confidentiality of victims of domestic violence through trainings like the Technology Safety Training of Trainers.
Verizon Wireless' support builds on its longstanding commitment to domestic violence prevention through the Verizon Wireless Hopeline program. Verizon has embraced the issue throughout the corporation with volunteer initiatives and strategic grants from the Verizon Foundation. Verizon has focused on raising awareness about domestic violence and on supplying technology tools to provide immediate and ongoing support for domestic violence victims.
Since October 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 3.5 million wireless phones. The program has disposed of more than 800,000 of these handsets in an environmentally sound way and refurbished the remaining phones for resale and reuse.
Other sponsors of the Technology Safety Training of Trainers include the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, the Wireless Foundation, Symantec, AOL, Google and Loopt.
Read the full press release.