Safe spaces? Women's use of online domestic abuse support groups

• In Event: Victimology Working Group Panel 3 Consequences of Victimization

Abstract

Emblematic of the shortcomings of formal responses to domestic abuse and the acute social isolation experienced by victim-survivors, women who have experienced domestic abuse are increasingly turning to online spaces for support. The use of private Facebook domestic abuse support groups in particular has accelerated in recent years, with some boasting tens of thousands of members. In a society where domestic abuse continues to be silenced, many women have found critical support in online spaces. However, experiences of these groups are also shaped by judgement, threats to anonymity, unsafe advice and a significant labour burden on moderators, who are often victim-survivors themselves. Unlike previous research that has largely employed content analysis methods to interpret posts on public domestic abuse support forums, this paper draws on in-depth interviews with women who use private domestic abuse Facebook groups in the United Kingdom. As such, the paper moves beyond what victim-survivors post to these online spaces, to a broader consideration of how and why they use the spaces. The paper reflects on the role of online spaces in creating ‘counter-publics’ and in making space for innovative justice initiatives outside of formal responses to domestic abuse.

Author

• Ellen Reeves, University of Liverpool