Communication Technology Usage

For those in the United States with the economic privilege to afford it, Internet and wireless communication penetration rates have steadily increased. Today, over 168 million United States households currently have Internet access (Nielsen/Nitrating, 2001 ) and more than 50% of households in the 25 largest U.S. cities use a wireless phone ( J.D. Power and Associates, 2001 ). In the previous year, the percentage of consumers accessing the Internet from wireless phones doubled to 23% ( J.D. Power and Associates, 2001 ).

Internet access anytime anywhere is the wave of the future and experts predict that by 2005, over one billion users worldwide will use the Internet (U.S. Internet Council, 2001 ). So, how does this rapid proliferation of innovative communication technologies impact human service delivery and specifically, the provision of advocacy and support to survivors of intimate violence?

The Internet offers new opportunities for outreach and a new arena for service delivery, which is very attractive to a movement committed to social change. While there are many advantages, domestic violence organizations should temper enthusiasm for this new medium with a critical examination of innovative communication technology usage. The foundation of the battered women's movement is to provide services that are accessible to all people so that no one is denied access. The digital divide, a term used to describe the chasm between those with and without Internet access, limits some people's access to online resources.

Therefore, domestic violence organizations must learn about the digital divide (see Appendix A) in order to understand who benefits from services that involve innovative communication technologies. Domestic violence organizations should carefully weigh budget allocation decisions regarding the development or enhancement of programming. If programs devote limited financial resources to merely developing Internet-related services, they will neglect to meet the needs of all people. Further, organizations must ensure that the technologies they deploy do not further ostracize parts of the population, such as the disabled, from their services.