The references aren’t abusive. They don’t contain direct threats. Apart from one message, there aren’t even any profanities. Sent with the consent of both people, as part of a normal relationship, the transactions could be harmless; maybe even romantic. But Holly Carrington, a policy adviser at domestic abuse charity Shine, says the tone and frequency of the transactions suggest a different scenario: these are communications sent by someone who has been blocked from every other method of contact. “Picture if you will, you’re in a relationship where you’ve experienced a range of abusive and controlling tactics over a period of time, and you’re trying to separate from this person,” Carrington says.