If your abuser enters the room, click the red ESCAPE button to be taken to a safe website.
Be safe online!
There is no way to completely erase the trail of your online activity. If you are in a dangerous relationship, please take these precautions to protect yourself.
On the Internet:
- If you think your online activities are being monitored, they probably are. Abusive people are often controlling and want to know your every move.
- The computer you use creates a “trail” of the websites you’ve visited. While you can clear your history or empty the “cache” file (automatically saved web pages and graphics), it is not possible to delete or clear all the “footprints” of your online activities.
- An abuser doesn’t need to be a computer programmer or have special skills to monitor your computer and Internet activities; anyone can do it with the use of programs like Spyware, keystroke loggers and hacking tools.
- If you think you are being monitored on your home computer, don’t suddenly stop using it since this may make an abuser suspicious. You may want to keep using the monitored computer for harmless activities, like looking up the weather.
- Use a safer computer at a public library, a trusted friend’s house or an Internet Café to research an escape plan, look for new jobs or apartments, purchase bus tickets or ask for help.
On Email:
- Use a web-based email account. Yahoo.com, hotmail.com and aim.com are just a few sites that offer free email accounts. You can access these email accounts from a safer computer such as at work, a friend’s house or the public library.
- You will be asked you if you want the computer to “remember me” or "keep me signed in" when you enter your user ID and password. Be sure to click "NO" or uncheck the box. Clicking “yes” or leaving the box checked will allow anyone to enter your email account.
- Make sure you always password-protect your email account so no one else can read your outgoing or incoming email.
- Don’t choose passwords that are easy to guess like your child’s name or your birth day. Instead, choose something that you would know, but an abuser may not such as the name of your oldest nephew plus his birth day (example: Billy91698).
- Email and Instant/Text Messaging (IM) are not safe or confidential ways to talk to someone about the danger or abuse in your life. If possible, please call our hotline instead (816.461.HOPE). If you use email or IM, please use a safer computer.
- If an abuser sends you threatening or harassing email messages, the messages can be saved as evidence of abuse. These types of messages may also constitute a federal offense.