Tech Safety Planning Tips for Indigenous Survivors Leaving a Community
A Note on Language
In this toolkit, we will sometimes use the word woman/women and feminine pronouns for simplicity and to recognize the significant impact technology-facilitated violence has on women and girls. We recognize that TFGBV also impacts trans, non-binary, and Two-Spirit people. We hope that all people impacted by TFGBV will find these documents useful.
This info sheet is for shelter workers supporting survivors from remote or isolated communities. Indigenous survivors leaving these areas may have additional tech safety needs beyond standard planning tips.
Here are some suggestions:
Create a safety plan program for Indigenous survivors that is created, includes, and is led by a member of the community.
- This community lead can help survivors create a group of support people from community, which is important.
Determine who are the support people in the survivor’s Indigenous community.
- Is there an elder who the survivor can seek support from?
- Building a trusting relationship with supports in community is essential for success.
If there is a conflict of interest with the support person supporting a survivor leaving a violent relationship (meaning the support person may be related to the abuser of violence):
- Have conversations within your program about who is the next best person to provide community-based safety planning support.
Once there is a committee of safe support people in place, they can work together with the survivor to develop a safety plan that will include tech safety.
Tech safety planning strategies for survivors leaving a community may need to include:
- detailed support on how to turn off tracking,
- change their phone number,
- change social media privacy settings, and
- change their profile picture and name.
For more information on how to support survivors in rural, remote norther and Indigenous communities, see our Navigating Tech Abuse Toolkit.
Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) is part of a continuum of violence that can be both online and in-person. If you or someone you know is experiencing TFGBV, you are not alone. You can use sheltersafe.ca to find a shelter/transition house near you to discuss options and create a safety plan. You don’t need to stay in a shelter to access free, confidential services and support.
We gratefully acknowledge Carrier Sekani Family Services and the Indigenous Shelter Advisory Committee for the creation of this information sheet.