How should crisis teams address digital abuse and stalking?

• A. Ignore digital traces unless a crime is filed.
• B. Only provide legal resources without safety steps.
• C. Screen for digital abuse, document evidence, advise on securing devices, and connect to legal and protective resources.
• D. Delete all accounts without preserving evidence.

Answer: (C)

Addressing digital abuse and stalking requires a safety-first, comprehensive approach that includes screening for digital harm, preserving and documenting evidence, helping the survivor secure their devices, and linking them to legal and protective resources. This approach recognizes that digital abuse can escalate and threaten safety in real life, so proactive steps are essential. By screening, the crisis team can identify online stalking, harassment, or surveillance, and then document evidence with timestamps, screenshots, and logs to support any later reports or orders. Guidance on securing devices and accounts—changing passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, updating privacy settings, and removing shared access—reduces ongoing risk. Finally, connecting to legal tools (like protective orders) and protective resources ensures the survivor has formal avenues for protection and continuing support. The other options fall short because ignoring digital traces misses current danger, offering only legal resources without safety steps leaves immediate risk unaddressed, and deleting accounts without preserving evidence can erase proof and hinder protection.