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Description
The project tackles the phenomenon of online domestic violence/intimate partner violence, a specific form of psychological violence that has exacerbated within relational contexts during the pandemic. Within the project there will be identified the risk and protective factors underlying this phenomenon in Romania, the extent of gender violence in the context of cyberbullying, victims'' experiences, attitudes towards violence against women and its awareness and, especially, the consequences on victims and families
The project responds to the acute need for concrete data on the evolution of online domestic violence in the context of the pandemic, in order to increase awareness of these forms of abuse and their consequences and provide psychological support to victims of online domestic violence (direct - women, and indirect – their children / families). Also there will be provided input for legislation and policy in the field, in support to combatting online domestic violence.
During four months of systematic intervention and concrete support, we aim to offer our direct beneficiaries concrete opportunities to 1) report incidents of domestic violence online; 2) concrete tools for recognition, reporting and resilience (personal + in a family context); 3) individual and group psychotherapy sessions for victims of domestic cyber violence (150 women + children). Through this project, we aim to provide scientific data related to the scale of the phenomenon, risk factors and effective therapeutic ways to ameliorate the psychosocial consequences of the phenomenon, data that will help translate the identified needs into public policy recommendations. 150 women from 3 cities (Iasi, Bacau, Vaslui) will benefit of therapy sessions and 1000 women – victims of online GBV will benefit from advocacy, awareness and facilitation for reporting online harassments.
Summary of project results
The project addressed the increase of intimate cyberbullying as a specific form of domestic violence, given the pandemic context that has exacerbated violence within relational contexts. Within the project there were unfolded two online campaigns and an offline campaign whose main objectives were to recognize and raise awareness of the phenomenon of online domestic violence and its harmful physical and psycho-social consequences. The activities took place in three cities in Romania, namely: Iași, Vaslui, and Bacău (total direct beneficiaries: 900+). Flyers and newsletters were used in offline and online formats and an informative brochure was distributed to all direct beneficiaries of the project. The campaigns involved the traditional media area (radio) and social media. A scientific study was conducted and sent for evaluation at the international journal Ethics & Behavior. The article is titled “I’m doing the right thing! Technological Intimate Partner Violence and Social Media Use: The Moderating Role of Moral Absolutism and the Mediating Role of Jealousy”. There were held 13 individual and group sessions and 157 persons benefited from concrete psychological support actions. During the implementation there were concluded 9 partnerships (e.g., DGASPC Bacău) to promote concrete actions to support the reporting of episodes of domestic cyber violence (on the platform realized in the project www.violentaonline.ro). In total, over 6,000 people were reached by the actions of the project. The project promoter consolidated its capacity to conduct campaigns that can be replicated un other cities while the platform www.violentaonline.ro will be maintained as an instrument for victims and witnesses in order to report and monitor cases of domestic cyberbullying.