{"id":7685,"date":"2015-11-28T11:01:24","date_gmt":"2015-11-28T11:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/?page_id=7685"},"modified":"2025-11-10T15:04:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T15:04:00","slug":"online-safety","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/information-support\/what-is-domestic-abuse\/online-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Online and digital abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"7685\" class=\"elementor elementor-7685\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-33301e8c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"33301e8c\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-59f6e750\" data-id=\"59f6e750\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-703c80f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"703c80f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Online and digital abuse<\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-45ca385d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"45ca385d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Staying safe <strong>online<\/strong><\/h2><p>Many relationships that begin romantically can quickly become controlling, with partners reading emails, checking texts and locations of social media posts. Research conducted by Refuge in 2021 found that 1 in 3 women in the UK have experienced online abuse (perpetrated on social media or other online platform) at some point in their lives.\u00a0<em>[1]<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40a57e9 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"40a57e9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3fc2577e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3fc2577e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"kleo_text_column wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Online platforms are increasingly used to <strong>perpetrate domestic abuse<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kleo_text_column wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p class=\"p1\">Online abuse can happen over long periods and escalates over time.\u00a0<span class=\"s1\">It can include behaviours such as monitoring of social media profiles or emails, abuse over social media such as Facebook or Twitter, sharing intimate photos or videos without your consent, using GPS locators or spyware.\u00a0<\/span>Research by the Victim\u2019s Commissioner (2022) found that 40% of victims of cyber stalking reported that they experienced this for more than 2 years.\u00a0<em>[2]<\/em><\/p><\/div><p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">Conviction data for im<\/span><span class=\"FindHit SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">age based sexual abuse<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">\u00a0(commonly referred to as \u2018revenge pornography\u2019) show that out of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">376<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">\u00a0prosecutions for this offence record<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">ed in\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">the year ending March 2<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">019<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">83% (313<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">) were flagged as being domestic abuse-related<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW91764959 BCX1\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Normal (Web)\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>(ONS, 2019)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-467c1743 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"467c1743\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-431a8485\" data-id=\"431a8485\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5bc2d24c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5bc2d24c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<header class=\"vc_cta3-content-header\"><h2><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Women\u2019s Aid research about <strong>online domestic abuse<\/strong> found that:<\/span><\/h2><\/header><ul><li>Over half of respondents experienced online abuse during the first year of the pandemic, and over a quarter of respondents (28.6%) reported that their experiences of tech abuse started or escalated since March 2020.\u00a0<em>[3]<\/em><\/li><li>16% of women in refuge services had experienced surveillance\/harassment online or through social media by their abuser.\u00a0<em>[4]<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-53299d6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"53299d6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-13ad0a9b\" data-id=\"13ad0a9b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-38f3464f elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"38f3464f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31f00cba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"31f00cba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"kleo_text_column wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \"><h2 class=\"wpb_wrapper\">Keeping safe <strong>online<\/strong><\/h2><\/div><div class=\"kleo_text_column wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Online services and social media should be open and safe for everyone to use. We know that perpetrators of domestic abuse often use online tools to abuse their victims.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Below is information about the safety policies and processes on some of the main social media platforms that should help you stay safe online.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>If you need support<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> please visit our<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/information-support\/\"><span class=\"s1\"> information and support page <\/span><\/a><span class=\"s1\">for access to our Live Chat, Survivors\u2019 Forum and more.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e7d2569 elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"e7d2569\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/information-support\/what-is-domestic-abuse\/cover-your-tracks-online\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Click here to learn how to cover your tracks online<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1777a4ed elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1777a4ed\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5fad11ab\" data-id=\"5fad11ab\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f0590fe elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"3f0590fe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6e306ef9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6e306ef9\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-74fb65e5\" data-id=\"74fb65e5\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f067f04 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1f067f04\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h6><strong>References:<\/strong><\/h6><h6>[1] Refuge (2021). \u201cUnsocial Spaces: make online spaces safer for women and girls\u201d. Available\u00a0<a title=\"Original URL: https:\/\/refuge.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/unsocial-spaces-.pdf. Click or tap if you trust this link.\" href=\"https:\/\/refuge.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/unsocial-spaces-.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"Verified\" data-linkindex=\"0\">online<\/a>.<\/h6><h6>[2]\u00a0<span lang=\"en-US\">Victims\u2019 Commissioner (2022), \u201c<\/span>The Impact of Online Abuse: Hearing the Victims\u2019 Voice\u201d.<\/h6><h6>[3]\u00a0<span lang=\"en-US\">Women\u2019s Aid (2022). \u201c<\/span>Technology and domestic abuse: Experiences of survivors during the Covid 19 pandemic\u201d. Available\u00a0<a title=\"Original URL: https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4.-Technology-domestic-abuse-and-Covid-19-1.pdf. Click or tap if you trust this link.\" href=\"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/4.-Technology-domestic-abuse-and-Covid-19-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"Verified\" data-linkindex=\"2\">online<\/a>.<\/h6><h6>[4] Women\u2019s Aid (2023). \u202f<i>The Domestic Abuse Report 2023: The Annual Audit<\/i>, Bristol: Women\u2019s Aid. Available\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/evidence-hub-annual-audit-2023\/\">online<\/a>.<\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Online and digital abuse Staying safe online Many relationships that begin romantically can quickly become controlling, with partners reading emails, checking texts and locations of social media posts. Research conducted by Refuge in 2021 found that 1 in 3 women in the UK have experienced online abuse (perpetrated on social media or other online platform) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":881,"featured_media":37107,"parent":6835,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7685","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Online and digital abuse - Women\u2019s Aid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Online and digital abuse: Relationships can be controlling in a number of ways. 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