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Covering Your Steps on the Computer...
Internet Safety
Many women are probably not aware that the websites they visit can be tracked later on their computer. Women who are contemplating leaving and are perhaps researching accommodation elsewhere, or websites such as this one that offer support, should consider covering their tracks on the computer. This is an important part of keeping safe.
Some computers have a default email program, such as Microsoft Outlook, which may or may not require a password. If you are unable to set a password on your email account, you should consider signing up for a web based email account such as 'yahoo' or 'hotmail'. These require a password to be entered before anyone can access the emails. Be careful that the password you choose is not something that a perpetrator will guess easily, and always make sure that you sign out completely!
Remember that email accounts can be a good way of storing personal information such as tax file numbers, bank account details, or contact details for friends and family who may be able to support you when you leave. The good thing about a web based email account is that it can be accessed anywhere around the world... or, just around the corner! If a perpetrator is sending you abusive messages, you should also consider keeping them in case you need proof of abusive and threatening behaviour. Just remember, you may not feel that you want to hold on to that information now, but further down the track it may be a different story. Perhaps print it off and ask a friend to hang on to it for a while.
Internet History
Some internet savvy perpetrators may know how to access the exact websites and web pages that you have been looking at. It is a good idea to learn how to clear the information on the computer so that they are unable to do this. You can clear this information by doing the following:
- Go to the 'Tools' menu
- Select 'Internet Options'
- Make sure the 'General' tab has been selected
- Click on 'Delete Files'
- Click on 'Clear History'
There is no guarantee that these steps will completely hide the pages that you have visited. Auto-entry on many newer computer programs means that words typed into search engines are remembered for easier access at a later date. The safest way for you to protect yourself, is to use a friends computer or use a public computer at an Internet chat room or Public Library.
Just remember that the internet is a great resource for finding information - go to our 'useful links' page for a list of websites that we recommend.