Digital violence

Nobody needs to tackle digital violence alone. A counselling session at a specialised counselling centre can help you to break out of the cycle of anxiety and helplessness and cope with your feelings better. Moreover, it can provide information on how to protect yourself better and how to get support from your environment.

There are various options for taking action against digital attacks. Many attacks constitute statutory offences, such as insults, stalking, identity theft or coercion, against which legal action can be taken. This may be an important step towards defending and protecting yourself against further attacks.

If criminal or civil proceedings are taken, it is important to obtain evidence (e.g. threatening e-mails) and document the individual incidents. Even in the case of anonymous actions, it is generally possible to trace back digital attacks clearly, via the IP address for instance.

In addition, relatives may intervene if this is desired by the victim. Abusers often stop when they realise that the victim is no longer alone. If relatives receive intimate pictures or messages about a person known to them, they can store this data and inform the person concerned. It may be agreed to obtain information about the legal options, or the police can be contacted. Again, it is important to gear support towards the specific needs of the person affected, not your own needs.