Digital Abuse

Digital abuse is the use of technologies such as texting and social networking to bully, harass, stalk or intimidate a partner. Often this behavior is a form of verbal or emotional abuse perpetrated online. You may be experiencing digital abuse if your partner:

• Tells you who you can or can’t be friends with on Facebook and other sites.
• Sends you negative, insulting or even threatening emails, Facebook messages, tweets, PMs or other messages online.
• Uses sites like Facebook, Twitter, and others to keep constant tabs on you.
• Puts you down in their status updates.
• Sends you unwanted, explicit pictures and demands you send some in return.
• Pressures you to send explicit videos.
• Steals or insists on being given your passwords.
• Constantly texts you and makes you feel like you can’t be separated from your phone for fear that you will be punished.
• Looks through your phone frequently, checks up on your pictures, texts and outgoing calls.
• Uses any kind of technology (such spyware or GPS in a car or on a phone) to monitor you

Digital abuse can look like many different things. It can happen during the relationship, and also continue after. There have been articles posted that explain the dangers of digital abuse and how abusers can install spyware apps in phones that will allow them to read all texts, and see everything that the phone is used for, even listen in on calls. This is incredibly dangerous when you are trying to relocate to stay safe. Read an article here, to learn how to better protect yourself.

Abuse comes in many different forms. The more aware we are, the better chance we have at protecting ourselves.

#DomesticViolenceAwareness