Violence against women is not always physical. With the continuing advancements in technology, cyber stalking is an increasing way for predators to attack women. “Cyber stalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk someone which may be a computer crime or harassment.” The anonymity of interacting with someone online makes it very easy to stalk someone without even leaving home. Cyber stalkers have a sense of security that since they are not seen, they will not be identified. It is estimated that over 75% of victims are women. This estimated figure is lower than the actual number because a large majority of cyber stalking goes unreported.
The journal article that I researched analyzed three main ways that a cyber-stalker can attack their victims. They are by email stalking, internet stalking and computer stalking. Email stalking is the closest form of traditional stalking. One very common form of traditional stalking is harassing telephone calls. Just as with telephone calls, harassing someone by email is an immediate intrusion into personal space. Many att...
The National Conference of State Legislatures (2013) defines Cyber stalking as the use of the internet, email or other electronic communications to stalk. It generally refers to a pattern of threatening behaviors or malicious intent. The NCSL considered it the most dangerous of cyber harassments. According to the Louisiana statute, Cyberstalking is the actions of any person to perform the following:
Stalking has been a label for a long-term pattern of persistent pursuit and intrusive behavior directed by one person toward another (Logan & Cole, 2007). It is a term that has been around since the late 1980’s coming about to describe the persistent pursuit of celebrities and today is used to describe all manner of unwanted following, approaching, and harassing behaviors directed toward any individual (Logan & Cole, 2007). Some of the most common forms of stalking are repeated phone calls, visiting home or the work place, sending unwanted gifts, emails, letters, or following the victim.
Stewart, B., Boyd, M., & Nunnally, D. (2002). STALKING THE STALKER. People, 58(10), 74. Retrieved February 20, 2012, from EBSCOhost
In the case of stalking, which is relatively new in the research arena and thus has a limited evidence base to inform practice, SPJ appears to be the most appropriate as only a detailed and flexible risk assessment process that takes into account the different forms of potential damage can provide a basis for management that reduces the potential harm to the victim and the stalker both (Mullen et al, 2006). Further research into stalking risk factors and comprehensive assessment tools will aid the development of more accurate and detailed procedures specific to the assessment of risk in stalking.
“Stalking” is a term used to describe harassment or contact that is unwanted and repeated. 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men have been stalked in their lives (Stalking statistics, 2014). This is a very serious crime that is often overlooked due to embarrassment or underestimating the severity of it. However, stalking can become violent very quickly. Some only threaten their victims and never go any further (stalking,2014), but other cases can become quite severe.
Wolak, J., Finkelhor, D., Mitchell, K. J., & Ybarra, M. L. (2008). Online “Predators” and their Victims: Myths, Realities and Implications for Prevention and Treatment. American Psychologist, 63. Retrieved from http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Am%20Psy%202-08.pdf
However, one of the many negative effects of this growing technology is cyberstalking. Cyberstalking is a form of harassment that happens over email and other social networks. Naomi Harlin Goodno acritical, “Cyberstalking, a New Crime: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Current State and Federal Laws,” touches on cyberstalking and briefly on offline stalking. While a new crime cyberstalking and offline stalking has become a massive problem as stated by Goodno, “Legislatures recognized the need to stop stalkers before the stalking developed "into a more serious threat to a victim 's personal safety." Cyberstalking might even be worse than regular stalking because the harassment never stopes and in most cases it might even provoke a third party harassment. An example of this, is the case of a twenty-eight-year-old women being harassed by a fifty-year old man, whom used various internet chat rooms to impersonate her and giving out her personal information stating that she allegedly fantasized of being raped; thus leading to different occasions where different men knocked on her door saying they wanted to rape her (Goodno). According to Goodno, “…the Internet makes many of the frightening characteristics of offline stalking even more intense. It provides cyberstalkers with twenty-four-hour access, instantaneous connection, efficient and repetitious action, and anonymity.” Due to differences on cyberstalking and offline stalking it makes current laws somewhat inadequate to deal with the different aspects of cyberstalking
Based on a study done by Schwartz-Watts and Morgan at the American Academy of Psychology Law, they found that stalking was far more prevalent than anyone had imagined: 8% of American women and 2% of American men will be stalked in their lifetimes. That’s 1.4 million American stalking victims every year.
The first issue to discuss is determining the motive of the stalker. There is not one type of stalker; this is reflected by the numerous categories created pertaining to a stalker’s motive. Typologies have been created to illustrate these varying types of stalkers. One typology, developed by Zona, Palarea and Lane (1998), used information gathered from ...
There have been many examples of cyberstalking crossing over in to real life stalking. And those users who have been victims of cyberstalking, tell a similar story, that no one took the harassment serious until it became real life stalking. Cyberstalking can be a devastating experience for a person online. But in cyberspace people say things like “well just turn off your computer” and “ you can’t be hurt on the Internet, it’s just words”. (Laughren, 1998, p.1) The online stalking is just as frightening and distressing as off-line stalking, and just as illegal.
Cyber bullying can be more terrifying than standard bullying, because the target typically does not know who is after them. Cyber bullies believe that because they are posting anonymously or not using their names, they can get away with anything. The case is that Internet activity is traceable. It is important to know that cyber bullying can be charged as crimes. In some cases, cyber bullies will be charged as sexual predators and have to be on the registry. Furthermore, items posted on the Internet can affect the person’s ability to get into university or employment.
Violated. Trapped. Afraid. These are the feelings of young victims of cyber bullying. Bullying has metamorphosed into so much more than face-to-face interactions. Now, children cannot escape the torture when they leave social situations. The torment follows them home and has transformed into words laced with hatred and animosity. Behind computer screens, the oppressors may remain anonymous, creating fear of the unknown. Unnamed and unidentified, these online bullies can instill terror in the hearts of those being harassed. These types of bullies, via the Internet, tyrannize children that choose to remain indifferent, children who do not have the desire or will to fight back against them. These children that suffer severe bullying not only have to deal with a cruel social hierarchy in public, but now they are assaulted over any type of online media in the comfort of their own home. The Internet allows anonymity, and has led to a brutal breeding ground for cyber bullies to attack whomever they choose. With the increasing dependence and use of technology all over the world, cyber bullying is becoming a more important issue than it ever was before.
Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that takes place with the use of any electronic technology. Cyberbullying is a major problem affecting young people today. There are different types of cyberbullying. This topic comes as an interest to many people these days because bullying is very common and it can ruin a person’s life. These days, cyberbullying is considered a new form of bullying. It can happen over the internet by computer, mobile phone or any other electronic devices. Cyberbullying could involve any form of unpleasant words or pictures being displayed on the internet for others to see. It could also involve the spreading of lies about the victim on the internet. Many people are stepping up efforts to prevent bullying in the first place. Approximately half of U.S. students are impacted by traditional bullying each school day (Ross). Bullying peaks in middle school, then reduces in high school. Other types of bullying may involve the passing of notes behind someone’s back, rumors being whispered about someone, or being threatened in the internet. The most common types of cyberbullying include passing of humiliating photos, cell phone pranks, cyber stalking, impersonation, online slam books, and text wars. Bullies appear scary but truthfully they are the unhappy ones. Majority of bullies have been bullied by parents, siblings, or other young people. This may trigger them to bully and pick on other kids.
What is Cyber bullying? Cyber bullying is just like regular bullying but instead of bullying face to face, it’s done on the internet. In America, cyber bullying has gotten out of hand during the past year. Unfortunately kids who are bullied through the internet have a difficult time getting away from the bullying. Children today walk the street while thinking or knowing they will get picked on. This has also caused teens to commit suicide. Usually teens that are the bullies have a lower self-esteem than the person they’re bulling. Teens today use the internet more than anything excluding sleep. In two thousand and eight young teens ages 12-17 had access to the internet. Cyber bullying needs to stop before more of our children hurt themselves. Studies show that most likely a female would be the most bullied. A high percent of teens have been angry, frustrated, sad, embarrassed, scared and shockingly a small percent weren't even bothered.
Haley, Jacqueline. "Anonymity of Cyberstalkers: The Cyber-Watchdog's Tough Collar." Georgia State University College of Law May 2001.