Effective Date: February 25, 2026

Last Updated: February 25, 2026

BecomingTheHero.com (“the Site”) is operated by Chad R. Torgerson. This page outlines the terms of use for the Site and describes how we collect, use, and protect your information. By accessing or using the Site, you agree to the terms described below.

Terms of Use

Purpose of This Site

BecomingTheHero.com provides educational resources, advocacy content, and general information for male survivors of intimate partner violence and the professionals, supporters, and policymakers who serve them. The content on this Site is intended for informational and educational purposes only.

Not Professional Advice

Nothing on this Site constitutes legal advice, medical advice, clinical mental health treatment, or a professional therapeutic relationship. The information provided here is not a substitute for consultation with a licensed attorney, physician, therapist, or other qualified professional. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency services. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line). You may contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for DV-related issues.

Accuracy of Information

We make every effort to ensure the statistics, research citations, and factual claims on this Site are accurate and sourced from federal government surveys, peer-reviewed published research, or official government reports. Full citations are available on our References page. However, we do not guarantee that all information is complete, current, or error-free. Laws, policies, and available services vary by jurisdiction and change over time. We encourage independent verification of any information presented here before relying on it for personal decisions.

Use of Content

You are welcome to share, reference, and link to content on this Site for non-commercial educational, advocacy, or personal purposes. If you quote statistics or content from this Site, please attribute them to BecomingTheHero.com and to the original research sources cited on our References page. You may not reproduce substantial portions of this Site’s original content for commercial purposes without written permission.

User-Submitted Content

If you submit a story, comment, or other content through the Site (including through our Share Your Story page), you grant BecomingTheHero.com a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to publish, edit for length or clarity, and display that content on the Site. All stories are published anonymously or under a pseudonym chosen by the submitter. We will never publish your real name, email address, or identifying information without your explicit written consent. You may request removal of your submitted content at any time by contacting us through our Contact page.

External Links

This Site contains links to external websites, hotlines, and resources. We provide these links as a convenience and do not control, endorse, or assume responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or availability of any third-party sites or services.

Limitation of Liability

BecomingTheHero.com, its owner, and its contributors are not liable for any damages, losses, or harm arising from your use of this Site or your reliance on any information provided here. This includes, but is not limited to, decisions related to personal safety, legal proceedings, medical treatment, or mental health care. Use of this Site is at your own risk.

Privacy Policy

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

We understand that visitors to this Site may be in vulnerable and potentially dangerous situations. Your privacy and safety are our highest priorities. We have designed our data practices with this in mind.

Information We Collect

Information you provide voluntarily. If you submit a story through our Share Your Story page, contact us through our Contact page, or sign up for email updates, you provide us with information such as your name (or pseudonym), email address, and the content of your message. You are never required to provide your real name.

Information collected automatically. We use Burst Statistics, a privacy-friendly analytics plugin that runs on our own server. Burst Statistics does not use cookies, does not track you across other websites, and does not share your data with third parties. It collects only aggregate, anonymized data such as page views, referring URLs, and general geographic region (country level). We do not use Google Analytics or any advertising-based tracking tools.

Information We Do Not Collect

We do not collect, store, or have access to your IP address in connection with analytics. We do not use cookies for tracking purposes. We do not build user profiles. We do not sell, rent, or share any visitor data with advertisers, data brokers, or any third party.

How We Use Your Information

If you contact us or submit a story, we use your email address only to respond to your message or to communicate with you about your submission. If you sign up for email updates, we use your email address only to send you the updates you requested. We will never add you to a mailing list you did not sign up for.

Data Storage and Security

Form submissions (Contact, Share Your Story, email sign-up) are processed through WPForms and stored on our hosting server. We use SSL encryption (HTTPS) across the entire Site. We take reasonable precautions to protect your information, but no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure.

Third-Party Services

The Site is hosted on WordPress. Contact and story submission forms are powered by WPForms. Email updates, if implemented, may be managed through a third-party email service. These services have their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review. We select services with strong privacy practices and do not use services that monetize user data through advertising.

Quick Exit Button

This Site includes a Quick Exit button that immediately redirects your browser to an external website. This feature is provided for your safety. Please note that using the Quick Exit button does not clear your browser history. If you are concerned about someone monitoring your browsing activity, we recommend using your browser’s private or incognito mode, clearing your browser history after visiting, or accessing the Site from a device the other person does not have access to.

Children’s Privacy

This Site is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal information through the Site, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Your Rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of any personal information we hold about you at any time by contacting us through our Contact page. If you have submitted a story and wish to have it removed, we will honor that request promptly.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Terms and Privacy page from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Your continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms.

Contact

If you have questions about these terms or our privacy practices, please reach out through our Contact page.