DeStalk
Do you work for a public authority, victim support service or perpetrator programme?
Register here for the DeStalk e-learning.
The course is free of charge and available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.
IT security community, research & education, civil society organisations and governmental authorities work together to tackle new forms of gender-based violence: cyberabuses and stalkerware in intimate relationships.
The DeStalk project has developed a multi-level capacity-building strategy to train and support professionals of victims support services and perpetrator programmes, officers of institutions and local governments, and other key stakeholders on recognising and taking action against cyberviolence.
View the project webpage in the different project languages: German (DE), Spanish (ES), Italian (IT), French (FR)
Why DeStalk
Gender-based violence and online abuse are closely related. In Europe, one in ten women have experienced online violence since the age of fifteen and 20% of young women experience sexual harassment online. 70% of women who were cyberstalked are also survivors of physical and/or sexual violence by their partner or former partner. Likewise, 71% of domestic abusers monitor women’s computer activities while 54% track survivors’ cell phones with stalking software. The increase of stalkerware usage on users’ mobile devices at a global level is unrestrained with the most affected European countries being Germany, Italy, and France.
Cyber abuse and stalkerware represent increasingly widespread, often hidden, forms of gender-based violence. Sexual harassment and mysoginistic bullying, cyber stalking, revenge porn and secretly installing stalkerware apps on phones. All of this is part of the abuse perpetrated online against both women and girls.
DeStalk aimed to increase capability of European local governments, gaining innovative instruments on how to develop an effective campaign, and extend the reach of professionals, with a huge multiplier effect beyond its end.
The DeStalk project also raised awareness of general public on these new and widespread forms of violence, and call strategic actors to action.
Our Work
DeStalk has:
- Developed an innovative e-learning platform and train key stakeholders targeting both professionals working in the IPV sector and public authorities and governments officials.
- Upgraded PP and VSS professionals’ tools and skills, allowing NGOs and services to upscale their service providers with an immediate impact on effectiveness of treatments.
- Performed a pilot territorial awareness-raising campaign and outline replication guidelines for strategic actors’ systemic action including services, institutions and policy makers.
- Disseminated about the training package, upgraded tools and replication guidelines, through online communication and other means at the regional and European level.
Destalk Outputs
DeStalk E-learning Course
The e-learning course for the online interactive training of experts on cyber-gender-based-violence and stalkerware has been developed in English, German, Italian, French and Spanish, with the contribution of GBV experts and IT security Partners.
The online platform will offer a brand-new course to equip beneficiaries with all knowledge and tools based on behavioural science, data science and psychological and creative learning research.
The online training is aimed at three target groups within the European Union: professionals of victim support services, professionals of perpetrator programmes and professionals working with government authorities. Through a self-paced e-learning package, professionals can gain an understanding of what is defined as cyber-violence and stalkerware and how to recognise different forms of cyber-violence.
If you are working in the field within the European Union, register for the course by following this link.
Read the flyer to learn more about the e-learning course (English and Italian).
Upgraded response of PP and VSS
DeStalk partners have analysed the existing corpus of tools used by programmes for perpetrators and support services for victims (e.g. IMPACT toolkit, ASAP Protocol for multi-agency cooperation, and relevant resources and practices used during programmes) and adapted the content to include detecting and addressing cyberviolence and stalkerware.
Read the report on "Adaptation of toolkit to address GBV to include cyberviolence and stalkerware" here.
Read the "DeStalk toolkit for practitioners working with perpetrators" in English and Italian.
Read the "DeStalk toolkit for provider working with victims/survivors" in English and Italian.
Institutional campaigning
Key stakeholders cooperated to pilot territorial action and campaign. The guidelines and templates produced for the campaign are tailorable for other territories of the European Union. The innovative outputs of the DeStalk project tackling online violence and stalkerware was disseminated within strategic channels.
Read the "Protocol for a territorial campaign strategy addressing the topic of cyber violence and stalkerware" in English and Italian.
Read the “Safe Online - Practical Guide for Women free from digital violence” in English and Italian.
Watch the awareness raising reel videos for women and men made for the Italian campaign (English subtitles).
Have a look at the DeStalk pilot campaign plan (English and Italian available).
View the DeStalk campaign illustrations here.
Read the Destalk campaign guidelines in English and Italian.
Go the campaign webpage (Italian).
Project Team
The DeStalk project was run throughout Europe thanks to the collaboration of an international and interdisciplinary project team:
- Fundación Blanquerna, research and education organisation within the Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sports Sciences from Ramon Llull University, Spain – Coordination and scientific support
- Kaspersky, a leading global cybersecurity company – E-learning development and IT content expertise
- Regione del Veneto, the local government of Italy’s Veneto Region – Pilot campaign and public authority perspective
- Una Casa per l'Uomo, a civil society organisation working with victims and perpetrators in Italy – Training of practitioners in victim support services and perpetrator programmes
- WWP European Network, umbrella association for perpetrator programmes – Dissemination and GBV knowledge
An external Advisory Board will supervise and support DeStalk’s excellence:
- Hauke Gierow, Director Cybersecurity Practice at PIABO PR
- Martijn Grooten, Special Advisor to the Coalition Against Stalkerware
- Mariangela Zanni, member of the Board of the Italian national network of women support centres D.i.Re Donne in Rete contro la violenza
- Cristina Bonucchi, Psychologist and Senior Technical Director of the Italian State Police - Postal and Communications Police Service - Cybercrime Analysis Unit - 2nd Division
- Patrizia Torretta, D.T.S Psychologist of Italian State Police
DeStalk is developed within the cooperation with the Coalition Against Stalkerware.
Get in Touch
Berta Vall - FPCEE Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University - bertavc(at)blanquerna.url.edu
Dimitra Mintsidis – WWP European Network – d.mintsidis(at)work-with-perpetrators.eu
DeStalk News and Press Release
Resources
Download our manual on how to work with violent men on cyber violence here
Stalkerware information for media
GREVIO General Recommendation No. 1 on the digital dimension of violence against women
Cyber Violence against Women and Girls Key Terms and Concepts
Read about The State of Stalkerware in 2019 (Coalition against Stalkerware/ Kaspersky)
Read about The State of Stalkerware in 2020 (Coalition against Stalkerware/ Kaspersky)
Read the Digital Stalking in Relationships Report (by Kaspersky with results from 21 countries)
TinyCheck Stalkerware Detection Tool
Read about Combating Gender-Based Violence: Cyberviolence (European Value Added Assessment)
Responsible Together Campaign 2020: Together against cyber violence!
Responsible Together Campaign 2020: Cyber violence in intimate relationships
Responsible Together Campaign 2020: Stalkerware
Responsible Together Campaign 2020: Cyberbullying and online violence
Read the Cyber violence against women and girls report by EIGE
Revenge porn increase during Covid lockdown
Watch the Interview with Demelza Penaluna on the Internet of Things and domestic violence
Webinar - Learning Lessons and Developing Tools to Tackle Cyberviolence
Partners
