Cyber Stalking
The act of stalking can be described as a constant unwanted pursuit of another individual. Cyber stalking is the same action, but with the use of a computer. Cyber stalking is considered to be a serious cybercrime. Many times, someone commits cyber stalking when he or she becomes fixated on one particular victim. Other times, the stalker can commit cyberstalking by stalking more than one victim at a time.
The stalker can use various ways on the Internet to contribute to his or her obsessive behavior. This includes: constantly trying to chat with someone who has expressed non-interest, sending unwanted materials (i.e. photos, e-mails, etc.), and anything that contains a harassing or threatening message or an action performed on the Internet that could bring harm to the stalker’s victim.
Unfortunately, because of the convenience and accessibility of the Internet, it becomes much easier to locate victims by collecting the victim’s phone number, address, and other various pieces of personal information, thus helping to enable cyberstalking. In the early 1990s, after the rise of Internet use, five women were murdered in the State of California as a direct result of cyberstalking. After this frightening chain of events, public awareness of cyberstalking had to be increased, including the serious repercussions that a victim could suffer.
Due to the increase of cyberstalking, penalties can range anywhere from a restraining order, to years of jail time depending on the State, the specific charges and the severity of the actions committed by the stalker.
So what can one do to avoid cyberstalking? When using the Internet, to avoid cyber stalking do not post anything that you would not wish anyone to see or that may be deemed as "suggestive". This includes: photos, chats, or even user names. This will avoid attracting attention from any unwanted pursuers. If you are chatting with someone who starts to become aggressive or says anything that may make you uncomfortable, you should exit the program immediately and report them to your Internet service provider.
One of the perks of online chatting is that the conversation is documented and it is easier to monitor a particular user and thereby pinpoint cases of cyberstalking. There are also "safe sites" that encourage a no-harassment policy. These particular sites may be safer to browse and will probably take strong action against harassment claims.
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