ABUSER

An individual who intentionally targets another individual with a bad purpose, cruelty or violence repeatedly

COERSION

Attempting to influence an individual mentally, physically, or emotionally through threats, punishment, and force

GASLIGHTING

Psychologically manipulating another individual into questioning their reality as well as inflicting doubt, distress, and distorted thought patterns

GENDER VIOLENCE

The violation of human rights and abuse through harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender or sexual orientation

HARRASSMENT

LOVE BOMBING

Hostile conduct targeted at an individual that is persistent, irritating, and repetitive - with the intent to distress or discomfort

The act of indulging a new romantic partner with material gifts or affection in the interest of manipulating superior influence in the relationship

MANIPULATION

An attempt to sway an individual to act or feel a certain way

MISOGYNY

Hatred or contempt of women

NARCISSISM

Extreme self-involvement to the degree where an individual disregards the feelings of those around them. Narcissists also lack empathy towards the needs of others 

PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE

The delibrate use of words and manipulation to cause harm to an individual by attacking competence and character. Verbal, mental, and emotional abuse are branches of psychological abuse

RAPE

Unlawful sexual intercourse - including penetration of the vagina, anus, or mouth or sexual activities made without consent. Considered a form of sexual assault 

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Intentional, sexual behavior that occurs without explicit consent of an individual

SEXTORTION

A threat to blackmail or distribute private and sensitive material of you if sexual content and imagery are not submitted

SOLICITATION

Requesting, encouraging, and demanding personal services or offering an individual's services for prostitution

STALKER

An individual who harasses another with unwanted attention consistently. For example, someone that frequents another individual's space with predatory, obsessive actions.

VICTIM BLAMING

Holding an individual at fault (either wholly or partially) for the crimes or abuse that have been committed against them

CYBER MOB

A group of abusers attacking an individual with the intent to collectively carry out a campaign of online harassment. Examples include, but are not limited to shaming, hate speech, threats, slurs, and insults

CYBER STALKING

A use of the internet and other electronic mediums to harass, frighten or stalk an individual online. These can take the forms of emails, text, social media posts, and threatening emails 

CYBERMISOGYNY

Various forms of gendered hatred, harassment, and abusive behavior targeted at women and girls through the internet that occur within a context of power and marginalization. Examples of this include, but are not limited to: revenge porn, cyberstalking, gender-based online hate speech, and non-consensual distribution of intimate content

DEEPFAKE

The use of technology and algorithms to create sham images and videos for revenge porn, fraud scams, political propaganda, and fake news online 

DIGITAL ABUSE

A use of electronics and technologies to harass, stalk or intimidate an individual. This is considered a form of verbal and emotional abuse via digital/online methods such as texting or social media

DIGITAL DATING ABUSE (DDA)

Repeated behavior on digital media (internet and cell phones) that intends to control, monitor, threaten, harass, or pressure a dating partner. Examples include, but are not limited to monitoring activities and whereabouts, controlling friendships, name-calling, threats, and pressuring sex

DOXXING

The intent to expose identifying and personal information about another individual online. Examples include, but are not limited to the following: full name, home address, workplace, phone, financial, and other personal information that circulates to the public without the victim's permission or knowledge. Additional forms many include: SSN, financial and banking card information, private correspondence, criminal history, personal photos, and embarrassing personal details

ELECTRONIC AGGRESSION (CYBERBULLYING)

Harassment or bullying committed through emails, chat rooms, DMs, websites, blogs, texts, video, pictures posted on websites or sent by phone

FLAMING

The act of engaging in an online argument through posting offensive messages, unfounded personal attacks, and insults by one or more parties

HACKING

An attempt to exploit a computer system or private network with unauthorized access for illicit purposes

IDENTITY THEFT

An unlawful possession and use of another's personal data for fraud or deception

IDENTITY FRAUD

The act of using stolen personal information for illicit gain. Often economic, examples include but are not limited to: credit card fraud, employment or tax-related fraud, phone or utility fraud

ONLINE DISINHIBITION EFFECT

Uninhibited online communication with others compared to in-person interactions influenced by factors of online disinhibition, including but not limited to anonymity, asynchronous communication, empathy deficit

REVENGE PORN

A form of revenge or harassment: The act of sharing and posting explicit and sexual images or videos online without the individual's consent in those images 

SEXUAL VIOLATION (DIGITAL)

The act of using technology to engage in harassing or non-consensual sexual interactions. Examples include but are not limited to: utilizing social media, online forums, gaming sites, digital communications, and dating apps to reach victims & leveraging digital photos or videos and sexually explicit language against them

TROLLING

Internet slang for those who intentionally try to instigate conflict, hostility, or arguments by using inflammatory messages to provoke emotional responses out of people in an online community and platform. This form of verbal harrassment is often in the comment sections of YouTube, forums, or chat rooms disrupting civil discussion

FELONY

A criminal offense resulting in a prison sentence. Examples include but are not limited to acts harmful and dangerous to society, such as arson, first-degree murder, rape, and burglary

INTENT TO HARM

An individual's purposeful decision and conscious desire to cause suffering onto another individual without legal justification

INTENT STANDARD

The act of proving a perpetrator's discriminatory "intent" to the Supreme Court

MISDEMEANOR

A committed criminal offense sentenced to less than a year of jail term or pardoned through community service. Examples include but are not limited to possession of drugs, trespassing, prostitution, and vandalism

OFFENDER

A individual convicted of a crime or offense 

REPEAT OFFENDER

An individual who has committed the same crime more than once 

RESTRAINING ORDER

Issued to stop someone from performing an action (are temporary/shorter in length)

ORDER OF PROTECTION

Issued to stop someone causing you verbal, emotional or physical harm (are longer terms)

AFFIRMATIONS

Statements designed to create inspiration, self-change focused attention on goals with the intent for self-advocacy, strength, and motivation 

PERSONAL BOUNDARIES

Limits and rules we set for the self within all relationships

GRIEF

An emotional response of deep pain or sorrow

MINDFULNESS

The ability to exist presently in a moment through conscious awareness

SAFETY

Freedom and protection from danger or harm 

SELF SOOTHING

The act of comforting yourself when triggered or experienced with distress

ADD

Attention Deficit Disorder - developmental disorder defined by chronic inattention and restlessness

ADHD 

Attention Hyperactive Disorder - difficulty managing attention illustrated by hyperactivity and impulsiveness

ANXIETY

Excessive distress and persistent worry about every day activities

DEPRESSION

Persistent misery or sadness expressed in the loss of interest for activities and seclusion causing considerable impairment in daily life

OCD

Obsessive Compulsice Disorder. Excessive thoughts and fears leading to compulsive physical behaviors and repetitive habits

PANIC ATTACK

Disabilitating fear

PANIC DISORDER

Sudden attacks of panic or fear

PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A psychiatric disorder that occurs in a person after experiencing a traumatic event such as natural disaster, serious accident, terrorist attack, war/combat, or rape

SCHIZOPHRENIA

Uncertainty of reality within a person's behavior, thought or emotion

SUICIDAL IDEATION

Often called suicidal thoughts or ideas that consist of death, wanting to take one's life, or thinking about suicide 

CONSENT

An agreement made by mutual participants to engage in an activity that is clearly communicated, understood, informed, and therefore voluntary 

CONSENSUAL VS. NON-CONSENSUAL (SEX)

Consensual: When all parties are in agreement and with consent and permission – all parties are in agreement that they approve
Non-Consensual: When one engages in activities with someone(s) who did not want to engage in sexual relations or did not agree – withour permission, with coercion

DATING VIOLENCE

A subcategory of domestic violence and intimate partner violence. Abusive behavior committed by one or both partners of a romantic relationship. Examples include but are not limited to psychological, verbal, and emotional, sexual violence, physical assaults, stalking, and cyber dating abuse

DOMESTIC ASSAULT

A violent or aggressive act that causes physical injury between family or household members

GENDER DYNAMICS

Interactions or relationships influenced by socio-cultural ideas on gender that create a power dynamic within the relationship that reinforces or challenges existing norms 

INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE

Abuse or aggression committed in a romantic relationship. Behavior can range from one episode to chronic and severe episodes over time. Examples include but are not limited to physical and sexual violence, stalking, and psychological harm by the former or current partner or spouse 

INTIMATE PARTNER STALKING

A current or former partner consistently directing unwanted contact or conduct at the other partner, therefore causing the victim fear and distress

PHYSICAL ABUSE

Act where an individual intentionally uses their body to inflict harm or injury upon the other individual. Examples include but are not limited to slapping, hair pulling, spitting, pressuring, threats, punching, kicking, suffocating, shaking, biting.

POWER IMBALANCE

Unequal distribution of power and control between partners or individuals that often create mistrust, abuse, and other problematic behaviors in a relationship 

SEXTING

The act of sending sexual text messages (via phone or other messaging services) 

COOKIES

Formally known as an HTTP cookie, web cookie, internet cookie, or browser cookie - small packets of data sent from a web server to a user's browser to retain personal information about the user even after this user has left the website

COMPUTER MONITORING SOFTWARE (SPYWARE)

Malicious software installed on a computer device without the user's knowledge that invades and steals sensitive information and internet usage data that then relays this data to firms or other external users or advertisers

CRYPOTOGRAPHY

The study and skillset of coding: translating and writing of technical communications and messaging 

EMAIL FARMING

The act of collecting email addresses for the purpose of email spam - also referred to as scraping or email harvesting

ENCRYPTION

The act of creating code from plaintext: transmitting information into a ciphertext for privilege access and to prevent unauthorized access 

DATA

Information (terms, facts, and statistics) expressed numerically or categorically collected for reasoning and inference

DIGITAL BEHAVIORS

Behavior committed on the internet

DIGITAL MEDIA

Digital content transmitted through the internet or computer networks, including text, video, audio, graphics, + news, television, printed newspaper and magazine for the purpose of offering online distribution through a website or blog, article and social media

DIGITAL MEMORY

A device to store data or programs temporarily or permanently for immediate use in computers - referred to as digital storage space or computer memory

SOCIAL MEDIA

Collective term for websites and mobile applications as the means of communication, community-based input, content-sharing, and collaboration among people in virtual communities and networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube)