Organisation Janine Janssen’s new book shows how technology impacts violence in relations of dependency Written on Friday, March 13, 2026 Digital technology plays an increasing role in violence in relations of dependency. Apps, social media, Artificial Intelligence, and tracking technology can be used to control or intimidate people. Conversely, however, it can also be used to protect victims. In her new book, entitled The price of fire. Technology and violence in relations of dependency Janine Janssen, senior lecturer at the Netherlands Police Academy, examines how the dynamics of dependency and violence are altered by technology. The book was launched at the Police Academy’s Apeldoorn campus on 13 March, at a meeting of about three hundred professionals from the fields of healthcare, security, and research. Online and offline violence Violence in relations of dependency, such as intimate partner violence, honour-related violence, or abuse within institutions, increasingly occurs at the interface between online and offline worlds. Perpetrators use social media, location trackers, spyware, or other means to control or threaten victims. The book gives several examples. One woman, for instance, went into hiding to protect herself and her child against her violent ex-partner, but he kept managing to track her down. Eventually it turned out a GPS tracker was hidden in one of her child’s cuddly toys. At the same time, new technologies can also help alert people and improve the protection of victims. Examples here include online help platforms and digital hotlines, or technologies that bring risks to light earlier. In the book, Janine describes how online hotlines and chat functionalities can sometimes enable victims to seek assistance without the perpetrator knowing. New questions to professionals The book examines how technological developments, such as smartphones, social media, and artificial intelligence, change the dynamics of dependency and control. In doing so, it also poses new questions to professionals in the healthcare, security, and technology sectors. For example: How can you recognise digital control or intimidation? How should you handle digital traces of control or violence? How can new technologies be used to better protect victims? ‘Online and offline violence are increasingly blending into each other’, Janine says. ‘As a result, technology not only changes the ways violence occurs, but also the ways we should understand it.’ ‘In practice, we often see online and offline violence being tackled by different teams, with differing types of expertise. By publishing this book, I hope to bridge this gap and show that cooperation is crucial, and that it opens up opportunities.’ Janine believes it is important for everyone to have the opportunity to read this book. For that reason, the pdf of this book is available for free in Dutch and English. You can read The price of fire. Technology and violence in relations of dependency in English here.