Technology and the evolving social media options create both opportunity and new levels of risk for people affected by domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. the following resources may be helpful in understanding safe use of these communication tools as well as the risks involved.
Please contact MCEDV for training options. Please contact your local projects for help in safety planning options related to technology. Contact information for your local domestic violence member program is in the Services section of this website.
Following you will find:
- GENERAL INFORMATION
- SAFETY PLANNING
GENERAL INFORMATION: While the Internet can provide people with access to useful information and life saving resources, it can also provide batterers with information about their victims’ Internet activities and physical whereabouts. Batterers can use the Internet to harass and stalk their vicitms, and they can trace their victims’ Internet activities and access their personal email. However, there are steps that people can take to protect themselves in cyberspace.
MCEDV provides the Escape Bar on every page in the event that your abuser may enter the room while you are viewing this website.Clicking anywhere on the purple bar, will immediately take you to an escape page which redirects your browser to your default homepage.We think this procedure will arouse less suspicion than simply closing your browser window or shutting off your computer. An abuser who is familiar with computers may be capable of tracing your browser back to this website. Clearing your internet browsing history and your cache will make it harder to track where you have been on line, but not impossible.
The following orange highlighted material is from the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDVP.orgInternet and Computer Safety
If you are in danger, please try to use a safer computer that someone abusive does not have direct or remote (hacking) access to.
- If you think your activities are being monitored, they probably are. Abusive people are often controlling and want to know your every move. You don’t need to be a computer programmer or have special skills to monitor someone’s computer and Internet activities – anyone can do it and there are many ways to monitor with programs like Spyware, keystroke loggers and hacking tools.
- It is not possible to delete or clear all the “footprints” of your computer or online activities. If you are being monitored, it may be dangerous to change your computer behaviors such as suddenly deleting your entire Internet history if that is not your regular habit.
- If you think you may be monitored on your home computer, be careful how you use your computer since an abuser might become suspicious. You may want to keep using the monitored computer for innocuous activities, like looking up the weather. Use a safer computer to research an escape plan, look for new jobs or apartments, bus tickets, or ask for help.
- Email and Instant/Text Messaging (IM) are not safe or confidential ways to talk to someone about the danger or abuse in your life. If possible, please call a hotline instead. If you use email or IM, please use a safer computer and an account your abuser does not know about.
- Computers can store a lot of private information about what you look at via the Internet, the emails and instant messages you send, internet-based phone and IP-TTY calls you make, web-based purchases and banking, and many other activities.
- It might be safer to use a computer in a public library, at a community technology center (CTC) at a trusted friend’s house, or an Internet Café.
Traditional “corded” phones are more private than cell phones or cordless phones. If an abuser has access to your email account, they may be able to read your incoming and outgoing mail. If you believe your account is secure, make sure you hoose a password that an abuser will not be able to guess.email
If an abuser sends you threatening or harassing e-mail messages, they may be printed and saved as evidence of this abuse. The messages may constitute an offence.
