The Cyber Abuse Project (CAP), a project of Break the Cycle and California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, addresses the use/misuse of technology in sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking (including cyber stalking) cases. CAP resources aim to support the work of criminal justice professionals, including law enforcement, campus safety staff, school resource officers, and school administrators in their response to these types of cases. CAP is supported by Grant Number 2016-TA-AX-K070 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.
For support and technical assistance inquiries, contact info@breakthecycle.org
Research
- Cyber Abuse Project Literature Review
- Cyber Abuse Project Listening Sessions Coming Soon
- Legal Resources Coming Soon
Training & Webinars
Recorded Webinars
- Evidentiary Issues in Teen Cyber Abuse Cases, Nicole Beck, Staff Attorney at Break the Cycle
- This webinar will explore best practices for criminal justice professionals, including judges, prosecutors, police, victim advocates, and campus safety personnel, who work with students around gathering and preserving evidence related to cyber abuse.
- CC transcript
- Cyberstalking and the Misuse of Technology in Teen Dating Violence Cases: Strategies for Criminal Justice Professionals
- Have you noticed an increase in cases related to cyberstalking or technology abuse in your dating or domestic violence cases? This webinar will: Explore the scope of gender-based cyber violence; Examine the most common technologies used to perpetrate these crimes; Identify strategic practices to effectively support young victims. Participants also had the opportunity to examine specific case examples and discuss case strategy with an attorney from Break the Cycle who has represented young clients in dating and domestic violence cases with a cyber-abuse component.
- Tech Support: Building capacity among secondary school campus safety professionals
- Tech use & misuse is common among stalking, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence cases, and is even greater when cases involve youth. While the field has begun to emphasize the role of campus safety on college campuses there is still more to learn. Furthermore, there continues to be considerable gaps in knowledge around campus safety on secondary school campuses where the impact of tech abuse/misuse can be greater. The Cyber Abuse Project funded by the Office of Violence Against Women and led by Break the Cycle and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault seeks to fill some of these gaps and provide ongoing support for criminal justice professionals in this area. This workshop focuses on preliminary learning from this project including takeaways from listening sessions with youth and campus safety professionals. It will also discuss next steps in the project, including opportunities for participants to give input on the direction based on the ongoing needs of the field.
CAP Podcast Series
The CAP podcast series invites guests to talk about the use/misuse of technology in sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking (including cyber stalking) cases from a variety of perspectives in effort to support the work of criminal justice professionals, including law enforcement, campus safety staff, school resource officers, and school administrators.
- Podcast 1.1 - SafeBae: Experiences & Response Recommendations from Youth Survivors
- Description: In the first CAP podcast, we interview Daisy, Charlie, and Ella, co-founders of SafeBAE, a student-focused, survivor-driven nonprofit whose mission is to raise awareness about sexual assault and dating violence in middle and high schools. This podcast explores the experiences of youth survivors when navigating criminal justice responses to cyber abuse cases and ideas for how criminal justice professionals can support youth. Listeners will also learn more about SafeBAE's youth-led projects to address cyber re-victimization.
- Transcript
- Podcast 1.2 - New Tech, New Strategies: Investigating Cyber Abuse on Campus
- Description: In the second CAP podcast, we interview Sgt. Cox, an officer with Austin Independent School District's Police Department who has trained hundreds of law enforcement officers on social media use and investigations across the state of Texas. This podcast explores strategies to enhance the response of campus law enforcement officers in cyber abuse cases. Listeners will get an oppertunity to learn about trends in social media, techniques for collecting evidence, and new training methods for campus safety professionals.
- Transcript
- Podcast 1.3 - Without My Consent: Tangible Tools to Combat Online Harassment
- Description: Some refer to nonconsensual sharing of images as "revenge porn." Others refer to it as "sextortion." However, what do these terms collectively mean and how is it affecting our youth? With the help of expert, Erica Johnstone, this podcast will delve directly into the nonconsensual sharing of images and videos, advances the legal community has made to combat this issue, and explore strategies to support both students and campus administrators in finding equitable solutions in secondary schools and college campuses.
- Transcript
- Podcast 1.4 - TBD
- Podcast 1.5 - TBD
- Podcast 1.6 - TBD
Resources
- CAP Toolkit - Coming Soon
Additional Resources
- C.A. Goldberg: Internet Abuse and Sexual Consent Lawyers offer resources on how to put a stop to revenge pornography and domestic abuse legally.
- Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving thousands of victims around the world and advocating for technological, social, and legal innovations to fight online abuse including an online removal guide for nonconsensual porn and list of Revenge Porn Laws by state.
- Department of Justice (Reporting Computer, Internet-Related, or Intellectual Property Crime) lists primary law enforcement agencies that investigate domestic internet crime and accept cyber crime reports.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a place to report online crime complaints and submit internet-related crimes to the FBI for further investigation.
- International Human Rights Clinic focuses on the intersection of information and communication technology and international human rights law. Students in this clinic participate in a project addressing violence against women online including strategies to counter cyber-stalking and harassment.
- National Network to End Domestic Violence’s SafetyNet Project creates resources to help victims and agencies respond effectively to the many ways that technology impacts victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual violence and stalking.
- Stop Bullying provides information from various government agencies about how to address and prevent bullying and cyberbullying.
- Technology Safety is an NNEDV website that explores technology in the context of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and violence against women.
- Thorn's Stopsextortion.com provides resources, videos, and an anonymous chatline for youth and their friends who may be experiecing sextortion.
- Without My Consent is a non-profit organization seeking to combat online invasions of privacy and offers a template for preserving & documenting evidence.
- Women’s Law provides legal information and support to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, including how to apply for a cyberstalking restraining order.
- Women’s Media Center, Women’s Speech Project is dedicated to expanding women’s freedom of expression and curbing online harassment and abuse through research, articles, promotion of experts, and training.
For more information about technical assistance available by the CAP project, please contact CALCASA or BTC.
.png "all are welcome here")
