If an intimate partner frightens you through coercion, intimidation or physical violence, help is available:
Remember: Corded phones are more private and less able to be intercepted than cordless phones or cell phones.
Contact your local domestic violence program, shelter, or rape crisis center to learn about free cell phone donation programs.
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.
If you are being monitored, texting or emailing may not be safe or confidential ways to talk to someone about the danger or abuse in your life.
If possible, consider calling a hotline instead. If you use email or text, please use a safer computer/phone and an account your abuser does not know about.
Computers can store a lot of private information.
This includes 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 or phone in a public library, at a trusted friend’s house, or an Internet Cafe.
Modern technology and social networks change frequently. Educate yourself by reading about the NRCDV’s Tech Safety Resources. This special collection of selected articles, fact sheets, papers, reports and other materials are designed to assist advocates and survivors interested in understanding the safe use of technology.
If you are in danger, please use a safer computer and consider calling 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 / TTY 1-800-787-3224 or the StrongHearts Native Helpline at 1−844-762-8483 (call or text) are available to assist you.
NRCDV does not provide direct services (for example: shelter, legal advocacy, counseling, etc.). We support organizations who directly serve victims and survivors of domestic violence.
Please review these safety tips.
