Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy governs the manner in which Stop It Now! collects, uses, maintains and discloses information collected from users (“You” or “Users”) of the Stop It Now! website, located at www.stopitnow.org (“Website”), and Stop It Now! Helpline ("Helpline"), including the Online Help Center located at https://www.stopitnow.org/help-guidance/online-help-center.

The Types of Information Stop It Now! Collects through the Website and Helpline

  • Non-personally identifiable information

    Stop It Now! collects non-personally identifiable information about you whenever you visit our Website. Such information may include the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer you used, the type of browser and operating system you used, the date and time you visited the Website, the Internet address of the site from which you linked to the Website, and which pages you viewed on the Website.

  • Web browser cookies

    The Website may use “cookies” to enhance your experience with the Website. Stop It Now! may also use cookies to measure aggregate web statistics, such as collecting the number of Users to the Website, the number of repeat Users and the most popular webpages, and for other purposes. Stop It Now! does not use cookies to track User activity on an individual basis. You may choose to set your web browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you do so, however, some parts of the Website may not function properly.

  • Personally identifiable information

    Stop It Now! collects personally identifiable information (such as names and email addresses) from Users when they voluntarily provide such information to us, including, for example, when Users sign up to “Connect With Us”, when Users seek help from us through our Helpline (see below) or our Online Help Center, when Users complete a survey or questionnaire, or when Users make a financial donation to Stop It Now!.

How Stop It Now! Uses the Information that It Collects from the Website and Helpline

Stop It Now! uses Users’ personal information to better understand how Users use the Website so that Stop It Now! can improve the Website and its offerings. Stop It Now! also uses Users’ personal information for the purpose for which the Users provided the information, in other words, to provide requested information, to process a donation, or to otherwise fulfill a request.

If you provide Stop It Now! with your email address through the “Connect With Us” form or otherwise authorize us to send you information electronically (e.g., e-Alerts), Stop It Now! will add you to our email list, and may contact you with information that Stop It Now! thinks will be of interest to you. If at any time you wish to stop receiving communications from Stop It Now!, please follow the unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of any email Stop It Now! sends you.

If you contact Stop It Now! seeking help through email, chat or our Online Help Center, Stop It Now! will communicate with you regarding your request for help and will then follow up with you with a one-time survey. Stop It Now! will not contact you further unless you authorize us to do so.

The Helpline uses a content management system to collect non-identifying information about Helpline contacts. This information is used for the purpose of reporting the overall use and impact of the Helpline.

The information collected includes state/country of Helpline user, how they found the service, and information about the situation that prompted them to use the Helpline service. This information includes (when shared) demographics about the situation such as the relationship between the Helpline user and people involved, the reason for the helpline request, the situation location, recommended next steps, and other essential information shared by the user.

How Stop It Now! Protects User Information Collected through the Website and Helpline

Stop It Now! adopts appropriate data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures to help protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction of your personal information, but Stop It Now! cannot guarantee that your information is 100% secure. Please note that communications to Stop It Now! through email, chat and the Online Help Center are not encrypted. You should always be careful about disclosing personally identifiable information online. Stop It Now! is not responsible for the use by others of information that you provide via the Website.

Stop It Now! works with third party vendors to process online financial donations and sales. Your credit card and bank information is not retained on our servers. All financial information is transmitted via SSL protection.

Sharing Personal Information Collected through the Website and Helpline

Other than as set forth herein, Stop It Now! does not share personally identifiable information about Users with third parties unless required to do so by law, or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with state and federal laws or to respond to a court order, subpoena, or search warrant. Specifically, Stop It Now! may disclose personally identifiable information to the appropriate authorities if we believe that someone is in immediate danger. (See Filing Reports)

Stop It Now! may also share generic aggregated demographic information not linked to any personally identifiable information regarding Users with third parties for such purposes as reporting and fund-raising.

In addition, Stop It Now! uses third party service providers to help it operate its business and the Website or administer activities on Stop It Now!’s behalf, such as collecting donations and processing sales of goods ordered through the Website. Stop It Now! may share User information with these third parties for those limited purposes but Stop It Now! requires that such third parties protect the confidentiality of your information and use it for no other purpose.

Third Party Websites

Stop It Now! may provide links from the Website to other websites. Stop It Now! does not control the content or links that appear on these third party websites and is not responsible for the practices employed by websites linked to or from the Website. These websites and services have their own privacy policies. Browsing and interaction on any other website, including websites that have a link to or from Stop It Now!’s Website, is subject to that website’s own terms and policies. This Privacy Policy covers only information collected through the use of Stop It Now!’s Website. In addition, Stop It Now! does not currently respond to web browser “do not track” signals.

Compliance with Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act

Protecting the privacy of the young is especially important. For that reason, Stop It Now! never collects information at the Website or Helpline from those Stop It Now! knows are under 13, and no part of the Website is structured to attract anyone under 13. If Stop It Now! becomes aware of having information about anyone under 13, Stop It Now! will promptly delete the information. Please contact Stop It Now! at 413-587-3500 or complete this form if you believe that a child under 13 has provided us with personally identifiable information. If a child under 18 contacts Stop It Now! for help, we will refer that child to appropriate resources for children.

California Privacy Rights

If you reside in California and have provided your personally identifiable information to Stop It Now!, you may request information once per calendar year about Stop It Now!’s disclosures of certain categories of your personally identifiable information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. Such requests must be submitted to Stop It Now! at info [at] stopitnow.org.

Access to Your Personally Identifiable Information

You may request a copy of any personally identifiable information that Stop It Now! has about you. Please contact us using this form or write to the Web Manager, Stop It Now!, 351 Pleasant St., Suite B-319, Northampton, MA 01060. Stop It Now! does not charge for supplying this information and will endeavor to reply within 40 days of receipt of your request. It will help us to locate your records more easily if you can tell us something about the nature of your contact with Stop It Now!.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Stop It Now! may update this Privacy Policy at any time. When it does, Stop It Now! will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page. Stop It Now! encourages Users to frequently check this page for any changes to stay informed about what information Stop It Now! collects and how it uses that information. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this Privacy Policy periodically and become aware of any modifications since your last visit.

Your Acceptance of These Terms

By using this Website or Helpline, you signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use the Website. Your continued use of the Website following the posting of changes to this Privacy Policy will be deemed your acceptance of those changes.

The Stop It Now! Helpline

Since 1995, Stop It Now! has provided a free Helpline for adults to voice their personal fears about their own or someone else’s sexualized thoughts or behavior toward children. Many of the thousands of people over the years have said that they have never spoken about this issue with anyone before. With guidance from Stop It Now!’s professional staff, adults who contact the Helpline can: learn about sexual abuse; identify specialized treatment options for themselves or someone they care about; develop prevention and safety plan strategies; find language for an effective conversation when they have concerns; and learn how to report those concerns to authorities when appropriate.

Please be aware that the Helpline does not offer therapy, legal advice, or investigative services. If you are looking for any of these services, Stop It Now! offers a limited listing of these resources. If you need legal advice or counsel, please consult an attorney directly. Any resource referral from Stop It Now! does not constitute an endorsement of the activities or views of that individual or organization by Stop It Now!.

Confidentiality on the Helpline

Stop It Now! is committed to creating a private place where people can freely and openly discuss their concerns about child sexual abuse and consider what steps to take next. We maintain your confidentiality as long as you keep your anonymity. To maintain privacy, anyone contacting the Helpline should refrain from disclosing identifying information, such as last names, addresses, phone numbers, and employers of anyone directly involved in an abusive situation. Stop It Now! does not need any of these details to provide guidance and resources.

For those who call the Helpline, no caller ID is used, so Stop It Now! does not know your phone number unless you voluntarily provide it. Stop It Now! does have access to the phone numbers contacting the Helpline rom the information provided on our telephone bill, but we do not match that information with particular callers. Chat IP addresses are made invisible to our Helpline and we do not attempt to trace IP address. Email return addresses are visible to our Helpline consultants but are not collected.

IP addresses and email addresses are not considered reliable identifying information, however if identifying information specific to abusive and criminal behavior is disclosed, and we are required to file a report (See Filing Reports), these addresses may be shared upon request with the proper authorities. 

Helpline User Comments

Helpline staff sometimes request permission from individuals to use their comments on the Website or in other Stop It Now! materials for marketing and reporting purposes. These comments will only be used if permission is granted. When comments are used, they are always anonymous and contain no personally identifiable information.

Filing Reports

Stop It Now! will offer assistance if any caller wishes to file a report with the appropriate authorities. Please recognize that if a Helpline caller chooses to provide Stop It Now! with identifying information about specific people involved in a particular child abuse situation, Stop It Now! may be required to file a report with the appropriate authorities. If you have further questions concerning our confidentiality policy concerning the Helpline, please ask at the beginning of your Helpline call.

Contacting Stop It Now!

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or anything relating to the Website or the Helpline, please contact Stop It Now! at info [at] stopitnow.org.

Revised December 2019