TECHNOLOGICALLY FACILITATED VIOLENCE: CRIMINOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF TECHNOLOGY ABUSE IN FAMILY AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS
Keywords:
Technology-facilitated violence, intimate partner abuse, cyberstalking, criminology, gender-based violence, North Macedonia, domestic violenceAbstract
Purpose:
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the growing phenomenon of technologically facilitated violence (TFV) in the context of family and intimate partner relationships. Technology has slowly penetrated every pore of social life, so no matter how much it facilitates everyday life, it inevitably becomes an integral part of human deviant behavior. The study aims to discover how digital tools are used to exercise psychological, emotional and coercive control over victims and to explore the criminological implications of this new form of abuse. Technology can leave room for new forms of violence but also help in carrying out existing ones. Therefore, the main goal is to investigate new trends in the abuse of technological and digital opportunities in this direction. A special focus will be placed on the Republic of North Macedonia, the emerging forms, cases and legal amendments that will be considered to what extent they offer protection from this phenomenon.
Design/Methods/Approach:
The research employs a qualitative, criminological approach supported by legal analysis. It draws on secondary data from academic literature, international documents and reports, alongside selected case studies and statistics from national stakeholders. Macedonian criminal law is critically examined to identify legislative gaps, while practices from developed countries and trends are reviewed as models for reform.
Findings:
The study identifies several key forms of technology abuse in intimate settings, including cyberstalking, online tracking, control via social media or smart home devices, etc.. It highlights how these acts often remain invisible to traditional legal definitions of violence and are frequently underreported. The paper finds that existing criminal law provisions in North Macedonia offer limited direct protection against TFV and that there is an urgent need for digital-specific legal mechanisms, institutional training, and cross-sectoral coordination.
Originality/Value:
This paper contributes to the limited regional scholarship on technology-facilitated domestic abuse by providing a criminological lens to a globally emerging issue. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing digital abuse as a legitimate and serious form of victimization and offers evidence-based recommendations for legal and institutional reform, especially in the context of harmonizing national legislation.
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