On Wednesday, Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, held a laptop giveaway for survivors of domestic violence alongside other regional organizations that offer similar services in Holyoke. The event was funded by telecommunications giant AT&T, and explored the complex relationship between technology and the value and risks it poses to people who have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence. The distribution of 50 refurbished computers is paired with digital safety trainings to ensure that survivors can safely use the technology without fear that it might be used against them by abusers. Jane Doe Inc. Director of External Relations and Development, Greta Hagen, explained to WAMC why the laptop giveaway represents a vital lifeline to survivors as well as a strategic shift for the organizations working to support them.
HAGEN: When we talk about survivorship and the needs of survivors, we definitely stress that the situations are unique, as unique as the individual survivor. And we also know that there are some commonalities and things that folks need and desire for their lives, right? And it's the things that we all want, right? We want safety, we want our kids to be safe, we want our kids to be thriving. We want to be able to have autonomy over our own lives and our own decisions. And this is true for survivors, who are experiencing abuse in the moment, and those that are kind of out of that situation, but trying to heal and trying to rebuild their lives so things like safe housing, safe shelter, economic autonomy and empowerment, basically all the things that we think of when we think about self-sufficiency and self-fulfillment.
WAMC: Turning to technology, this giveaway of refurbished laptops- When you think about how this might be advantageous for survivors of these incidents, what comes to mind? Why is this an important thing to get into people's hands?
Yeah, so I think when we think about technology and folks who have experienced intimate partner violence or domestic violence sexual assault, we often think about the harms of technology. We think about those people who use stalking technology to stalk or to intimidate. We think about people who are having their cell phone survey, surveilled, or their car GPS systems hacked. So we think about technology, kind of as a danger, but what we also know is that abuse thrives in isolation, right? We all want to be connected, and that's really the antidote to violence and abuse. And so thinking really concretely about this example, like, I can't put my phone down for better or for worse, and that is probably true for a lot of your listeners. I need to have my connection to the people that I love, to the services that I need to do my work, for my kids, to do their schooling, right? And so that's true, all those pieces of connection are true for survivors too, maybe especially for survivors. And so when we're thinking about the financial ramifications that folks face when they're either trapped in a violent relationship or leaving an abusive relationship, they might not have access to the same technologies that we all take for granted, and so this is really a gift of connection, right? It's a way for folks to stay plugged in to their work, something that keeps their family surviving and thriving. It's something that helps them connect to the services they need to heal all of the people that they love, FaceTime, or whatever they need to do to stay connected to their community. So it really is a bigger gift than even a refurbished laptop.
There's also a digital safety component to this- Tell us about that. When folks are trying to move past these dangerous situations they've been in, how do you best equip them to handle that technology, which you acknowledge is in and of itself, possibly harmful? What does that sound like for folks looking for that guidance?
Yeah, so I think as I mentioned earlier, everyone's experience is pretty unique. And so one thing that is really amazing about advocates across the state, in programs in communities across the state - in Berkshire County, Elizabeth Freeman Center is a great example - advocates at these programs are really adept at sitting one-on-one with a survivor and saying, we're going to go through what your life looks like and the ways that you can stay safe as you navigate your life. And so what is used to harm somebody is individual, and what is used to keep someone safe is also kind of individual. And so I think that's important, is to reach out for help to kind of navigate that. So that's one thing. There are also other tools available. The National Network to End Domestic Violence has a wonderful safety net program, which has great resources available online around all sorts of tech safety questions. They're geared both directly to survivors as well as to advocates who are helping folks navigate this. So that's a great resource. And AT&T has also launched this great digital safety toolkit specifically for survivors of domestic violence that helps demystify some of the questions about shared accounts, like how to sever your account from somebody who is hurting you, different ways to check for spyware on your devices. So there are tools available to kind of empower folks to be safe in their technology use.
What do you think are some misconceptions about domestic violence or technology in relation to that, that you'd like to dispel?
Well, I think our own field, honestly, has taken some time to come to terms with the fact that technology can be really useful. When I started in this work, I was working at a domestic violence agency in Western Mass and we used to take folks' devices when they came to shelter, when they were entering our confidential spaces. We put those in a locker under lock and key for them to take with them when they left. And this was for the safety of, we thought, of both the family in shelter and also for the shelter program itself. And I think, over time and with learning and with some of these tools, we were able to say, wait a minute, there's a possibility of nuance here, of being able to be safe and to empower folks with those tools and to still have those connections. So I think there was even some learning that our own field had to do.
Give us sort of an aerial view of where domestic violence is in Western Massachusetts at the end of 2025. What are the broader trends looking like? Are we seeing increases, decreases, changes in how it's manifesting? Give us a sense of that.
I think in Western Mass you, of course, you have some unique challenges. There is a big, bigger space between neighbors, right, and so, I'm speaking to you from Boston today- When you're in an apartment building and a neighbor hears something going on, they may be more likely, for better or for worse, to call law enforcement. That's not necessarily the case when the houses are so far apart, so it might make new challenges for folks getting bystander support, and it also means that folks have to travel a lot farther to get services. So if you're traveling, you have to save up your gas money to get to Pittsfield, to get to Greenfield- That's a challenge that's not faced by folks in more urban communities. So I would say that that is one. Housing is an issue for survivors across the state, as it is for folks who have not experienced violence, as well affordable housing, especially. And so when we, I think a few years ago, there was a study done by Allstate Foundation that 99% of survivors of domestic violence have experienced financial abuse. And I think usually when we hear a statistic like that, we're like, that can't be true, but it is true that folks are either experiencing it in their relationship or really changing their financial situation by leaving a relationship. And so affordable housing, a safe place to go, especially amidst a housing crisis and a shelter crisis, is a real issue that survivors in Western Mass are facing.
And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, if anyone listening to this is experiencing domestic violence, what are resources they can access and what are ways they can safely get to those resources to remove themselves from that situation?
Yeah, that's a great question. Thank you for asking. First and foremost, I would want to pinpoint the Elizabeth Freeman Center, which has locations throughout Berkshire County, and they have a hotline number. It's 866-401-2425. They are a great resource for folks. Even if somebody doesn't know what they need or doesn't know what they want to do, it's a great resource to call for some options, like, what is the lay of the land, or do you just need to chat? So that's one resource I would really highly recommend. The other is SafeLink, which is the statewide domestic violence hotline. That's 877-785-2020, and that is bilingual in Spanish and English, useful to help connect folks to a community-based program to check for shelter availability across the state. It's a really great resource.
