Seeking help online

Unfortunately, women often face increased risks of abuse when seeking help. And while the internet allows women to find the information they might need, it must be done carefully or it can put your personal safety at risk.

Email

Someone that has access to your computer might be able to access your email and read your messages. Even messages that you thought were deleted can sometimes be found. It is safer to use a password protected email account and to access this account from a public computer or from a friend’s house. Always remember to log out of your email account before leaving the computer.

Web browsing history

This website has a Quick Exit button at the very top left of the site. This button allows you to attempt to change websites quickly should you need to. However, this button cannot clear your browsing history and your browser is probably storing a record of what websites you’ve been visiting. This history is accessible if someone knows what to look for. Clearing the browser history can, unfortunately, raise suspicion as well if another user relies on the history to remember websites or online chores.

Options for safer internet browsing include:

  • using a public computer at a library or internet café
  • using a computer at a trusted friend’s house

There are ways to clear your browser of it’s history (and cache and cookies).

For information and help clearing your cache