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Shining a Light on Stalking and Domestic Violence

Updated: 2 days ago

Stalking and domestic violence are serious issues that affect millions of individuals worldwide. According to the National Institute of Health and Welfare, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence. These statistics highlight the urgent need for awareness, education, and resources to support victims and survivors. In this blog post, we will explore essential resources that can help individuals navigate these challenging situations, raise awareness, and promote safety.


Understanding Stalking and Domestic Violence


Stalking and domestic violence are serious issues that affect people across Australia.

They do not always look like physical violence.

Sometimes abuse is visible. Sometimes it is hidden. Sometimes it happens through fear, control, monitoring, intimidation, repeated contact, or technology.

For many victim-survivors, the harm is not caused by one isolated incident. It is caused by a pattern of behaviour that makes them feel watched, unsafe, controlled or unable to live freely.


What is stalking?


In Australia, stalking is a criminal offence, although the precise legal definition varies between states and territories.

Broadly, stalking involves unwanted behaviour directed at a person that causes fear, distress, apprehension or concern for safety.

It may happen in person, online, or through the use of technology.


Stalking can include:

  • following, watching or approaching someone

  • repeatedly contacting someone by phone, message, email or social media

  • attending a person’s home, workplace or other places they regularly go

  • monitoring a person’s movements, activities or communications

  • using tracking devices, apps or digital tools to locate or surveil someone

  • publishing, threatening to publish, or misusing personal information

  • intimidating, harassing or threatening behaviour


Stalking is not always obvious to people outside the situation.

It can be subtle.It can be persistent. And it can escalate.


Technology-facilitated stalking and monitoring


Technology has created new ways for perpetrators to monitor, track and control victim-survivors.

This can include the use of:

  • Bluetooth tracking devices

  • location-sharing settings

  • spyware or monitoring apps

  • unauthorised access to phones, emails or cloud accounts

  • fake social media accounts

  • repeated digital contact

  • smart home devices, cameras or vehicle technology


Technology-facilitated stalking can make a person feel as though there is no safe place to go.

It can create fear inside the home, at work, in the car, online and in public spaces.

The issue is not the technology itself. The issue is the misuse of technology to monitor, intimidate or control another person.


What is domestic and family violence?


Domestic and family violence is not limited to physical abuse.

It is a pattern of behaviour used by one person to gain or maintain power and control over another person.


It can include:

  • physical abuse

  • emotional or psychological abuse

  • threats, intimidation or coercion

  • financial abuse

  • social isolation

  • spiritual or cultural abuse

  • technology-facilitated abuse

  • stalking, monitoring or surveillance

  • damage to property

  • abuse involving children, pets or family members


A person does not need to be physically assaulted for the behaviour to be serious.

Fear, control and coercion are central features of many abusive relationships.


Why awareness matters


Stalking and monitoring are often misunderstood.

They may be dismissed as jealousy, concern, conflict, or “just checking up.”

But when someone is repeatedly watched, contacted, tracked or monitored without consent, the impact can be significant.

Victim-survivors may change their routines, avoid certain places, stop using devices, withdraw from work or social life, or live in a constant state of hypervigilance.

The harm is not only physical.It can be psychological, emotional, social and financial.


Supporting victim-survivors


If someone tells you they are being stalked, monitored or controlled, one of the most important things you can do is listen and take them seriously.


Support can include:

  • believing what they are telling you

  • avoiding judgment or minimising the behaviour

  • encouraging them to contact a specialist domestic and family violence service

  • helping them think about safety planning

  • supporting them to document incidents where safe to do so

  • encouraging them to seek legal advice or police assistance if appropriate


It is important not to confront the person using abusive behaviour, as this may increase risk.


Where to get help in Australia


If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence, support is available.

1800RESPECT provides confidential information, counselling and support across Australia.


If there is immediate danger, call 000.


Specialist domestic and family violence services can also assist with safety planning, referrals, legal pathways and practical support.


Final message


Stalking, monitoring and domestic violence are not private relationship problems.

They are safety issues.

They are community issues.

And they require awareness, accountability and better systems of support.

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home, online, in their community and in their own life.




 
 

Why the Lighthouse Hub Exists - The Founder's Story

 

The Lighthouse Hub was founded from lived experience of domestic and family violence, stalking and technology-facilitated abuse.

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There was a period in my life when safety no longer felt simple. I began receiving strange messages and account alerts. Some messages suggested my location was known. My online accounts were being targeted. I found myself checking my phone, my car, my home and my surroundings, trying to understand how someone could know where I had been.

​

It is difficult to explain what that does to your sense of safety.

​

You stop moving through the world normally. You start scanning, questioning and checking everything. You wonder whether your phone is safe. Whether your car is safe. Whether your home is safe. Whether your children are safe.

​

My daughter felt that fear too.

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As a parent, that was one of the hardest parts. It is one thing to feel afraid yourself. It is another thing entirely to see your child feel unsafe and to feel helpless in trying to protect them.

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Eventually, a tracking device was located in my vehicle.

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That experience made something very clear to me: technology-facilitated abuse does not just create fear. It creates an evidence problem, a safety problem and a funding problem.

​

I was able to install cameras around my home, and that made a real difference. They helped restore some sense of safety. They helped me feel like I had a way to see what was happening around me and take practical steps to protect my family.

But I could not afford everything that was needed. Dash cameras, vehicle checks, device checks and other safety technologies can be expensive. At the very time I needed practical safety tools, cost became another barrier.

​

My support worker tried to find funding for dash cameras. But because it could not be proved who was responsible, I did not meet the requirements for victim support funding. Even then, I was told there could be a wait of up to 12 months.

That does not help when safety is needed now.

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This is the gap The Lighthouse Hub was created to help fill.

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Victim-survivors are often expected to provide evidence of stalking, surveillance or technology-facilitated abuse before meaningful action can be taken. But the tools that may help detect, document or respond to that behaviour are often expensive and difficult to access.

​

The Lighthouse Hub works with established frontline organisations to help fund practical safety technologies for the people they support. This may include home security cameras, dash cameras, vehicle checks and device checks.

We are not a crisis service. We do not provide counselling, legal advice or case management. Our role is to support the organisations already working directly with victim-survivors by helping make safety technology more accessible when cost would otherwise stand in the way.

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The Lighthouse Hub exists because safety should not depend on whether someone can afford the tools that may help protect them.

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It exists because a 12-month wait does not help someone who feels unsafe today.

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And it exists to help light the way when safety feels out of reach.

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