Photos courtesy of Jamie Gaunt, CCAW Director of Communications
By JACQI LEYVA-HILL
Special to the PRESS
Professionals who work with victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and other crimes gathered on South Padre Island Sept. 28–29 for the 3rd Annual Conference on Crimes Against Women Summit:
Beyond the Bounds, or CCAW Summit, where sessions focused on challenges facing coastal, rural and tourism-driven communities, including the growing use of technology to stalk and monitor victims.
The summit provides multidisciplinary training for law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates and other professionals responding to crimes against women. CCAW was founded in 2005 by Jan Langbein of Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support in partnership with the Dallas Police Department. The South Padre Island summit was held at the Courtyard by Marriott South Padre Island.
Among the many workshops offered was “When Stalkers Take Vacations: Investigating Technology-Facilitated Stalking in Tourist Destinations,” presented by Patrick Brady and Jennifer Landhuis, director of the Stalking Prevention, Awareness & Resource Center, or SPARC.
The session highlighted a concern especially relevant to tourist destinations such as South Padre Island: going on vacation does not necessarily separate a victim from a stalker.
Technology can allow offenders to monitor victims across jurisdictions without physically following them.
Potential sources identified in the workshop included shared itineraries, hotel and rental reservations, location-tagged social media posts, rideshare use, digital keys, excursion reservations, family tracking applications, AirTags and spyware.
For travelers, practical precautions include reviewing location-sharing and privacy settings and being mindful of vacation plans or locations posted publicly. SPARC also recommends preserving evidence of suspected stalking, such as messages, emails, photographs and online communications. If someone suspects a device is being monitored, using a safer device to seek assistance may be important.
SPARC is an initiative of AEquitas and also participates in Just Tech, a project providing prosecutors and law enforcement with training and technical assistance related to cyberstalking and other forms of online abuse.
Another seminar offered was “Trial Practice for Non-Lawyers: Cross-Training for a Successful Outcome,” was presented by Suzy Boylan, J.D. Boylan spent 25 years as a deputy county attorney in Missoula County, Montana, with much of her work involving gender-based violence and child abuse. Through SBJD LLC, she now provides training and consulting focused on practical, trauma-informed and collaborative approaches within the criminal justice system.
Advising first responders and victim advocates about their early interactions with survivors, Boylan emphasized allowing victims time, information and support rather than immediately focusing on whether they will participate in court proceedings.
She cautioned that asking a survivor too early whether they are willing to go to court can create the impression that their report may not be taken seriously, or that authorities may not want to move forward with gathering information, unless they immediately agree to participate in prosecution. Instead, she encouraged first responders and advocates to let survivors know that their questions will be answered, the process will be explained and they will be supported as the case develops.
“It just is about meeting people where they are and not making them be somewhere they’re not at the beginning,” Boylan said.
For more information about CCAW, visit conferencecaw.org. Stalking information, safety-planning materials and additional resources are available at stalkingawareness.org. Next year’s conference will return to the Courtyard Marriott on South Padre Island Sept. 20-21, 2027.