Pip Rae

Screening Tool

Primary Response Hub | Creating Tech Safety Digital Workflow Screening
Primary Response Hub

Creating Tech Safety

Digital Workflow Screening Tool — guide a structured conversation about technology concerns, possible access, behaviour, escalation, harm, impact, evidence and safer response options.

↧ Download printable tool
Practice principle: SAFETY → EVIDENCE → ACCESS → IMPACT → STRATEGY → CHANGE. This tool supports practice judgement and does not replace a DFV risk assessment. Avoid technical changes that could alert the person using violence, destroy evidence, lock the client out, or increase real-world risk.

Select the digital environment

STEP 1

What has been noticed?

STEP 2

Start with the behaviour and experience, not an assumption about the technology.

Select a digital environment above to show domain-specific screening prompts.

Possible access

STEP 3

Identify current, historical, physical, shared, recovery and indirect access pathways.

Behaviour + escalation

STEP 4

Escalation indicators

Risk, harm and impact

STEP 5

Select the worker-assessed response threshold. The technology category does not determine the risk level by itself.

Escalation prompt: one or more indicators suggest the worker should consider a higher-level safety review before technology changes are made.

Is it safe to change?

STEP 6

Before changing settings, consider whether action could alert the person using violence, destroy evidence, lock the client out, remove visibility of access, or increase real-world risk.

Preserve + respond

STEP 7

Preserve where safe: screenshots, security alerts, URLs, usernames, device names, dates/times, location alerts, settings and chronology.

Building Tech Safety | Creating Tech Safety
Use safe identifiers where possible. Do not enter unnecessary identifying or sensitive client information into public or unapproved systems.

By Pip Rae

Upstream Educator are Guardians of the internet, delivering trauma-informed workshops and education by subject matter experts and survivor strategist who are dedicated to providing sensitive and knowledgeable guidance on technology-facilitated abuse. Its focus includes identifying the harm experienced and intervening the predictive impacts of digital and online abuse in contexts of domestic and family violence, elder abuse, and upon children. With a special emphasis on trauma-informed practices, child focused solutions, on demand information and culturally appropriate responses, Upstream Guardian proactively integrates principles of safety, trust, collaboration, and empowerment ensuring survivor-centered support.