Guide to make Facebook safer for victims of abuse

The United States' National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and Facebook have partnered to produce guidelines for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking to increase their safety and privacy while using Facebook.

The guide provides safety tips and options a user can enable to prevent harassment, unwanted monitoring, threatening behaviour or stalking.  As social media has become a significant part of life, the guide supports victims to maintain connections to loved ones and family through social media while being safe. This can be an important part of reducing the isolation that a perpetrator of violence can create.

Cindy Southworth and Erica Olsen of the National Network to End Domestic Violence say, "We sometimes hear that survivors should just 'get offline' if they are concerned about an abuser finding them or contacting them.  This is not a solution.  Survivors shouldn't have to live their lives avoiding every possible situation that the abusive person could misuse".

The guide addresses Facebook privacy and outlines three 'lines of defence' in being safe. These are: 1. Manage Your Friends, including 'Take Back Control: Review Your Privacy Settings'. 2. Security Settings & Notifications. 3. Be Safe.

Alongside Childnet International, ConnectSafetly.org, The Family Online Safety Institute and WiredSafety, the National Network to End Domestic Violence is represented on Facebook's Safety Advisory Board.  Facebook also attended the National Network's inaugural Technology Summit Conference in July contributing to the discussion on supporting survivors of abuse.

Twitter also recently announced new measures to report abuse following death and rape threats made on the site to feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, Labour legislator Stella Creasy and several high profile female journalists.  The measures include adding the 'report abuse' button (currently available on the iPhone app) to other mobile platforms and the website.

Caroline Criado-Perez however, advocated for a complete overhaul of the system for handling abuse. "The current process is lengthy, complicated and impossible to use if you're under sustained attack like I have been," she said. "Right now, all the emphasis is on the victim, often under intense pressure, to report rather than for Twitter to track down the perpetrator and stop them."

For further information:

Safety and Privacy on Facebook: A Guide for Survivors of Abuse, Facebook, 31.07.2013

Facebook and Law Enforcement, Facebook

Media:

'UK pair sentenced for Twitter abuse of feminist', NZ Herald, 25.01.14

'Bank note rape threat sparks Twitter change', Stuff, 5.08.2013

'Twitter UK boosts anti-abuse tools after threats against women', TVNZ, 04.08.2013