Gender violence has increased by 40% among adolescents in recent years, according to data from the ANAR Foundation. This is a tremendously alarming figure, especially if we consider that one in four people under 30 years of age think that certain controlling behaviors are part of a couple’s normality.

And nothing could be further from the truth. The normalization of overprotective attitudes and the demand for total dedication is at the root of gender violence.

As this Orange campaign reflects, having a partner does not mean sharing everything. If your partner knows your cell phone password or checks the messages you send, this is a case of gender-based violence. If it controls your cell phone it controls you.

Cybercontrol is characterized by control by one partner through technology. One of the most serious consequences is abuse. And control through social networks is at the beginning of physical violence.

According to the “Voices Behind the Data” report , gender-based violence starts with location, friend or cell phone control and can lead to severe physical violence if not stopped in time. Therefore, it is important to stop this control from the beginning, with measures such as not authorizing the reading of your messages or conversations, not sharing compromising photos and not sharing your password with anyone. This is the only way to curb cyber-control.

In this line, Telefónica has launched the campaign #ControlarNoEsAmar, to alert about the risks of Cybercontrol , thus joining the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which is celebrated on November 25. On its website Dialogando.es you can find tips on how to break this control.

However, what to do if the appropriate measures have not been taken and this gender-based violence has not been stopped in time? Technology makes it possible to have telephone telecare services or apps that can help protect victims of abuse and that are already at the service of different agencies. These are some of them:

FREE is an application developed by Telefónica for cell phones (IOS and Android operating systems) that provides information about the steps to follow in a situation of gender violence, to know the telephone and face-to-face resources that are available, to know the self-protection measures that can and should be taken to safeguard their safety and that of their children.

ATENPRO is the Telephone Service of Attention and Protection for victims of gender violence of the Ministry of Equality promoted by the Vodafone Foundation and the Red Cross. Allows to be connected to the Alarm Control Centers, coverage in any location with mobile access, GPS location, etc. It currently serves more than 13,000 women.

016: this is the hotline for victims of abuse that, thanks to the agreement between the Government and telecommunications operators, leaves no trace on the telephone bill. In addition, as of this year, it is also possible to remove this number from the call log of newly purchased Android handsets. The manufacturers that have implemented this new functionality are BQ, Huawei, LG, Samsung and ZTE.

My112: this app developed by Telefónica allows 112 in Catalonia to identify if the call is made by a victim of gender violence, geolocate the woman for immediate activation of the Mossos d’Esquadra and emergency services, and send warning messages to up to six friends and family members.