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What you need to know about digital abuse in relationships

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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) and digital abuse is seldom talked about as a form of domestic violence in our interpersonal relationships. Oftentimes, many victims of digital abuse overlook or dismiss the ways in which they may have been mistreated on a digital platform. Digital abuse is defined as the use of technology to stalk, harass, or intimidate another person. Below are a few signs and symptoms that may be indicative of this form of domestic violence.

Signs

  • Being told who you can and can't be friends with on different social media networking sites. 
  • Pressure to send explicit texts, photos, or videos of yourself. 
  • Receiving explicit texts, photos, or videos without having consented to it. 
  • Threats to harm themself or you if you do not send explicit texts, photos, or videos of yourself. 
  • Experiencing revenge porn. This includes the threat and distribution of sexually explicit photos or videos of a person without their consent. 
  • Insisting on managing your online passwords. 
  • Looking through your phone and monitoring your pictures, texts, calls, and emails. 
  • Putting you down in any way via a group text chain, individual text chain, online, or social media post. 
  • Attempts to doxx or reveal your personal information without your consent on an online platform, specifically your personal phone number, housing address, workplace, educational institution, and family background. 

Symptoms

  • Low self-esteem when surfing social media 
  • Feeling overwhelmed in certain digital interactions 
  • Not feeling physically safe 
  • A sense of obligation regarding maintaining an online presence 
  • Experiencing dread when engaging with a certain individual 

Remember 

  • You have a right to privacy. 
  • You have a right to safety. 
  • You have a right to consent or withdraw consent to receive explicit digital material. 
  • You have a right to digitally disengage from another person. 

Support 

If you or a loved one is experiencing any form of domestic violence, please refer to the resources listed below. 

Victim-Survivor Advocacy 

Victim-Survivor Advocacy 

801.581.7776 

Domestic Violence Link Line

800.897.5465 

#WeAreResilient. #LoveShouldntHurt. 

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Last Updated: 9/17/24