You're Not Alone: the Intersection between Technology and Domestic Violence in the GCC

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to explore how technology and domestic violence are framed in relation to each other and what the current contexts are in which they are found within the states of the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC). Situating my research in the case study of a domestic violence organisation in Bahrain, hereafter known as “Organisation X”. I want to analyse the potentials, risks, and implications that arise from integrating technology as a lifeline for domestic violence survivors. The research aims to highlight how the push to use technology, more specifically, mobile applications, addresses the issues of domestic violence in terms of the survivor’s decision to get help and access to services and support. Furthermore, it explores how technology transformed its role as a facilitator, threat, and lifeline for domestic violence survivors. Additionally, I deployed the use of semi-structured interviews with key staff members in Organisation X, which were analysed through critical discourse analysis, thematic analysis, and the approach of the critical friend to understand the culture that contributed to the transition from a physical mobile helpline to an app. The findings from the interviews in relation to the intersection between technology and domestic violence were that technology expands the scope and scale of services that can be accessed by survivors of domestic violence, however, the extent to which these services will retain the same efficiency, quality, and longevity as those provided by locally based service providers and the state infrastructure is yet to be determined.