Online/Digital/Tech facilitated – this is any type of abuse that happens on the internet using technology like computers, tablets, mobile phones, game consoles and other internet-enabled devices to bully, harass, threaten, humiliate, stalk or intimidate you.
Online abuse can happen over long periods and escalates over time. 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.
Online abuse can hurt you socially or psychologically, or even lead to physical harm.
Further examples of digital abuse are when someone:
- Sends you negative, insulting or threatening emails, or messages on social media. Also known as Trolling.
- Sends you unwanted, explicit pictures and/or demands you reciprocate.
- Pressures you to send explicit video or sexts.
- Steals or insists they are to be given your passwords.
- Someone constantly texts you and makes you feel like you can’t be separated from your phone for fear that you will be punished.
- Without your consent looking through your phone, checking your activity, pictures, texts, outgoing and incoming calls.
- Tells you who you can or can`t be friends with on social media sites.
- Sexual extortion – using your intimate images or videos to blackmail you.
- Doxing – your personal details have been shared online, resulting in offensive comments and unwanted contact from strangers.
- Deepfakes/morphing – your face has been added to a nude of someone else’s body and posted online.
- Image-based sexual abuse (sometimes referred to as ‘revenge porn’) – when someone shares sexually explicit images or videos of another person/you without your consent, with the aim of causing you distress or harm.