Digital safety
Women’s Aid (England) research on online domestic abuse found that:
- For 85% of respondents the abuse they received online from a partner or ex-partner was part of a pattern of abuse they also experienced offline.
- Nearly a third of respondents (29%) experienced the use of spyware or GPS locators on their phone or computers by a partner or ex-partner.
- For half (50%) of respondents the online abuse they experienced also involved direct threats to them or someone they knew.
- Nearly a third of those respondents who had received threats stated that where threats had been made online by a partner or ex-partner they were carried out.
Digital abuse is the use of technology and online platforms to harass, bully, intimidate or stalk a current or ex partner.

Digital Safety Tips
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Change your passwords
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Set up two factor authentications on all devices and accounts
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Turn off tracking options on apps. Do this for your and your children’s devices
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Check your email accounts for any pre-set forwarding email address
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If safe reset your phone to factory settings. Do not forget to backup your contacts, images, messages etc before doing this
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Keep a record of any messages, email etc from your abuser
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In high risk situations avoid Social Media where possible
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Discuss online safety with your children
Need to cover your tracks online?
Refuge in England have developed a dedicated website to help keep you safe online.
There are lots of helpful tips and interactive tools to use to help you secure your technology.