It’s been 40 years since I wrote my first story about family violence, the case of Violet Roberts and her son Bruce, both convicted of murdering Eric, husband and father. Mother and son had spent decades fearing Eric’s violence and experiencing it. Broken bones, broken teeth and broken lives. They were eventually released after pressure from Women Behind Bars and other activists.

But evidence of family violence has changed considerably since then. We understand when a woman is murdered. We understand the hundreds and thousands of incidents that take the police to homes all over Australia.

Now there’s something more – and it’s so prevalent that family violence services are changing the way they operate. New research from Deakin University tells us that spyware is the next frontier – a “particularly acute threat” – in family violence. In fact, the manufacturers of spyware actively encourage and promote the use of their products for the surveillance of intimate partners and of children.

Of children.

It’s become so prevalent workers in shelters have had to change their practices. Yes, of course physical safety is paramount. But the chief executive of Women’s Community Shelters, Annabelle Daniel, says dealing with technologically-facilitated abuse is “now our core business”.