Abuse Using Technology

Documenting your evidence means that you are taking steps to do the following:

1. safeguard proof you have of the abuse, such as:

• printing out emails that show evidence of abuse;
• taking screenshots of text messages or social media posts;
• printing photographs or cell phone records;

2. accurately record incidents of abuse as they happen in a log, including:

• the date and time of each incident;
• what the abuser did or said;
• what actions, if any, you took; and
• what witnesses or evidence you have that is related to the incident; and

3. not change the evidence at all. So, for example, let’s say the abuser sends a threatening email that is unsigned. You cannot add his/her name to the email just because you know that s/he wrote it.

Documenting your evidence correctly can be crucial if you later need to produce it for a court hearing or other legal matter.