Abuse Using Technology

In many states, you can file for a restraining order against anyone who has stalked or harassed you regardless of your relationship with that person. Most states also include stalking as a reason to get a domestic violence restraining order and some include harassment as well. Please check the Restraining Orders page for your state to find out which restraining order may apply to your situation.

Another way to get a restraining order is from the criminal court if the stalker/harasser is arrested.

It can be helpful to keep track of any contact a stalker or harasser has with you by creating a log to document phone calls, drive-bys, messages, voicemails, or emails. Take screenshots of online harassment posts on social media and print them out. When printing harassing emails, print the header too, which has identifying information.  Save original messages and recordings. The Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC) has a stalking incident log that you can use to record this information. And Safety Net, a project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, has a sample cyberstalking incident log with tips on how to best document evidence of tech abuse.

With or without a restraining order, there are things you can do to try to increase your safety. Go to our Safety Tips for Stalking Victims page for more information.