Online and digital abuse - Women's Aid

We know that perpetrators of domestic abuse often use online tools to abuse their victims. Below is information about the safety policies and processes on some ... TwitterFacebookYoutubeInstagram News Jobs Training Members Survivors’Forum GetHelp Accessibility Togglenavigation Informationandsupport Ineedhelp LiveChat Survivors’Forum TheSurvivor’sHandbook Supportbyemail Findyourlocalservice Usefullinks Downloadsandresources Iworkwithsurvivors Dedicatedserviceforprofessionals NoWomanTurnedAway Covid-19:ResourceHub HowcanIhelpmychildren? I’mworriedaboutsomeoneelse Aboutdomesticabuse Whatisdomesticabuse? Recognisingdomesticabuse AmIinanabusiverelationship? Myths Howcommonisdomesticabuse? Theimpactofdomesticabuse Whatwedo Supportingsurvivors Supportingourmembers RailtoRefuge Supportingthesector Campaigningandinfluencing SOS:SaveRefuges,SaveLives DomesticAbuseAct Trainingandqualifications EvidenceHub AboutWomen’sAidresearchanddata Whatisdomesticabuse? Researchandpublications ImpactofCovid-19 Safe Educationandpublicawareness Ourapproach:ChangeThatLasts ExpectRespect Getinvolved ComeTogethertoEndDomesticAbuse  Give Fundraise Campaign Events FindaFeministFreelancer Coveryourtracksonline Donate Onlineanddigitalabuse Home Ineedhelp–informationandsupportondomesticabuse Whatisdomesticabuse? Onlineanddigitalabuse Onlineanddigitalabuse Stayingsafeonline Manyrelationshipsthatbeginromanticallycanquicklybecomecontrolling,withpartnersreadingemails,checkingtextsandlocationsofsocialmediaposts.Thiscanbejustthebeginning,withathirdofsurvivorswhorespondedtoaWomen’sAidsurveyononlineabusetellingusthattheirpartnerorex-partnerhadusedspywareorGPSlocatorstotrackthemdown. TheimagesabovewerecreatedinpartnershipbetweenPrivacyInternationalandWomen’sAid. Readmoreaboutthecampaignhere. Onlineplatformsareincreasinglyusedtoperpetratedomesticabuse. Onlinedomesticabusecanincludebehaviourssuchasmonitoringofsocialmediaprofilesoremails,abuseoversocialmediasuchasFacebookorTwitter,sharingintimatephotosorvideoswithoutyourconsent,usingGPSlocatorsorspyware. For85%ofrespondentstheabusetheyreceivedonlinefromapartnerorex-partnerwaspartofapatternofabusetheyalsoexperiencedoffline. Nearlyathirdofrespondents(29%)experiencedtheuseofspywareorGPSlocatorsontheirphoneorcomputersbyapartnerorex-partner. Forhalf(50%)ofrespondentstheonlineabusetheyexperiencedalsoinvolveddirectthreatstothemorsomeonetheyknew. Nearlyathirdofthoserespondentswhohadreceivedthreatsstatedthatwherethreatshadbeenmadeonlinebyapartnerorex-partnertheywerecarriedout. Convictiondataforimagebasedsexualabuse(commonlyreferredtoas‘revengepornography’)showthatoutofthe376prosecutionsforthisoffencerecordedintheyearendingMarch2019,83%(313)wereflaggedasbeingdomesticabuse-related.(ONS,2019) Keepingsafeonline Onlineservicesandsocialmediashouldbeopenandsafeforeveryonetouse.Weknowthatperpetratorsofdomesticabuseoftenuseonlinetoolstoabusetheirvictims. Belowisinformationaboutthesafetypoliciesandprocessesonsomeofthemainsocialmediaplatformsthatshouldhelpyoustaysafeonline. IfyouneedsupportpleasevisitourinformationandsupportpageforaccesstoourLiveChat,Survivors’Forumandmore.  Youcanfindmoretipsforhowtodeletecookies andconcealyourbrowsinghistoryhere ProtectingyourselfonTwitter Twitter Twitterhascertainrulesandpoliciesthatitexpectseveryonewhousesittoabideby.TierulesincludenotabusingpeopleonTwitter.Whensomeonebreakstherulestheycanbesanctioned.WeknowthatperpetratorsuseTwittertoabusetheirpartnersorex-partners,monitortheirmovementsandalsocarryoutcertainbehaviourssuchasrevengepornography.ThisisunacceptableandagainstTwitter’srulesandpolicies. BelowaresomeofthemainwaysofkeepingsafeonTwitter.ThereareothertoolsandresourcesthatcanbeusedandthesecanbefoundonTwitter’sSafetyCentre Stopotherpeopleseeingyourtweets-youcan‘protectyourtweets’soonlypeoplewhoyouapprovecanseewhatyouaretweeting.Here’showtoprotectyourtweets  Disableyourlocation–ifyourtweetshavealocationaddeditmaybeeasierfortheperpetratorortheirfriendsandfamilytofindyou.Tocheckyourlocationsettingsandtoturnitoffhere’show: IntheTweetcomposeboxontwitter.com,clickthebuttonwithyourlocation. SelectTurnofflocationfromthedropdownmenu. TheTurnofflocationsettingwillbesaved,sonexttimeyoucomposeaTweetontwitter.comyourlocationinformationwillnotappear. BlockSomeonewhoisbeingabusive–ifyouarebeingabusedorharassedbysomeoneonlineyoucanblockthemfrombeingabletoseeyourprofileorgettinganyoftheirtweets.NOTEifyoublocksomeonetheywillknowthatyouhaveblockedthem.Here’showtoblocksomeone  Reportabuse–youcanreportsomeoneforbeingabusive,threateningyouorharassingyouonTwitter.Youcanreportthemusingthisform  Useyourreportasevidence–ifyouhavereportedsomeoneforbeingabusiveyoucanalsodownloadandemailyourreporttouseasevidenceforthepoliceorotheragencies.Here’showtouseyourreportasevidence  Ifyouareadomesticabuseserviceyoucanalsoreportabuseonbehalfofsomeoneyouaresupportingthroughthisform  ProtectingyourselfonFacebook Facebook Women’sAidandFacebookhaveteameduptoproduceaguidetostayingsafeonFacebook. Theguideprovidesadvicetohelpwomen andgirls understandtherisksandtoolsneededtoprotectthemselvesandstaysafeonsocialmedia.Theguidehasalotofhelpfultips–fromhowtoreportsomethingthatisabusive,tostoppinganintimate,privateorsexualimagefrombeingsharedonline. It aimsto help women takegreatercontrol oftheirownsafetyonFacebook,whilststayingconnectedtothepeopleandcausestheycareabout. Download Remember,youcanalsodownloadyourFacebookdataintoaPDFanduseithoweveryouwant.Thiscouldbeforthepoliceasproofofonlineabuseorforotherevidentialrequirements. TodownloadyourdatafromyourFacebookpage: Click atthetoprightofanyFacebookpageandselectSettings ClickDownloadacopyofyourFacebookdatabelowyourGeneralAccountSettings ClickStartMyArchive Findoutmore  Resourcesandinformation FacebookandWomen’sAidSafetyGuide Thisguideby Women’sAidand Facebook providesadvicetohelpwomen andgirls understandtherisksandtoolsneededtoprotectthemselvesandstaysafeonsocialmedia. FacebookandWomen'sAidSafetyGuide VitualworldRealFear Women’sAidreportintoonlineabuse,harassmentandstalking(2014) VirtualWorldRealFearReport A4DigitalStalkingPoster A4DigitalStalkingPoster Stayingsafeonline–EasyandPracticalHelp DigitalStalkingleaflet DigitalStalkingLeaflet Digitalstalking:Aguidetotechnologyrisksforvictims JenniferPerry(2012) DigitalStalkingGuidePDF OfficeforNationalStatistics(ONS).(2019)DomesticabuseinEnglandandWales:yearendingMarch2019.Publishedonline:ONS ©2022Women'sAidFederationofEngland–Women’sAidisacompanylimitedbyguaranteeregisteredinEnglandNo:3171880. 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