NCJ Number
247533
Date Published
2013
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This guide assists survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in using Facebook to stay connected with family and friends while managing their safety and privacy by preventing access and misuse by perpetrators of stalking and harassment.
Abstract
The guide first suggests ways to manage what is shared and with whom on Facebook. A poster can select who sees Facebook activity either by setting a default setting or by choosing who can view individual posts. Other advice is to be cautious when accepting new Facebook friends; know who are the mutual Facebook friends; limit what is shared with them; and instruct your children who post on Facebook to be hesitant about accepting friends they don't know. The guide then suggests how to review privacy settings so as to control what others say about you on your own timeline. Under "Timeline" and "Tagging" you can control who can post and who can see your timeline. Other advice pertains to controlling who can find your Facebook page, including choosing to approve all tags before they appear on your timeline. Guidance is also provided on another major line of defense, i.e. the management of security settings and notifications. This includes "unfriending" or "blocking" a person within Facebook who is known to be bothering you. The concluding section of the guide suggests legal options or assistance from a domestic-violence advocacy group when stalking and harassment persists in spite of one's personal efforts to control privacy on Facebook.