Making Safe Choices Online

Safety online includes protecting your privacy, staying connected to your support network, deterring identity theft and financial fraud, and managing your social networks so that you share the information you want with only the people you choose.  Bullies, sexual harassers, thieves and sexual assault perpetrators are active both online and off.  They can exploit feelings of intimacy or privacy we sometimes have in social networks to reach the people they want to victimize.

Here are some resources to consider as you plan your own online safety:

Circle of Six is an award-winning app that invites you to think about your personal network of friends and supporters, and gives you specific tools for how to connect with them in case of emergencies.

Take Back the Tech is a site specifically designed for ending online gender-based violence.  They cover great strategies for everyone including protecting your privacy and preventing and responding to cyberstalking.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs shares a number of safety tips for anyone who meets people online for dating, hooking up, or pick-ups.  Whether you’re meeting someone from Craigslist to sell them your loft, or planning coffee with that Twitter follower who messaged you on Facebook, consider NCAVP’s safety tips before you head out.