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Cyberstalking When considering stalking one does not often consider cyber stalking because it is not done in the traditional way, i. e. , a male or female pursuing and following another person in the flesh. Cyberstalking while many feel is not a "real" crime, most certainly instills fear in the intended victim, many times as much or even more than the traditional stalking measures. I chose cyber stalking because as I was perusing topics I came across this and I even thought at first, how scary can this be, they cannot actually see me or touch me, so how can this really be "stalking" in the true sense of the word. My research proved how very wrong I was!
Many stalkers - online or off, are motivated by a desire to exert control over their victims and engage in similar types of behavior to accomplish this. "Most cyber stalking victims know or have known their stalker and begins when one tries to break off the relationship. There are however many known cases of strangers cyber stalking also. Given the enormous amount of personal information available through the Internet, a cyber stalker can easily locate private information about a potential victim with a few mouse clicks. (1) The following case study represents the way in which a person can be cyber stalked without even having a computer, something I never even considered!
The victim met the perpetrator at church, and continually rejected his romantic attempts. The perpetrator, a fifty-year-old security guard, retaliated to her rejection by posting her personal details to the Internet.While cyber stalking often is apparent between men and women, children being cyberrstalked is also a new way for predators to make contact with and harm young children. It is a challenge for law enforcement to apprehend these perpetrators due to the fact that many times tangible evidence is hard to come by and it is a hard "standard" as there is no rule of thumb relating to cyber stalking, no cut and dry cases and many gray areas.
These included her physical description, address and telephone number, and even including details about how one could bypass her home security system. He also posted false rape and gang-bang fantasies to on-line forums. On approximately half a dozen occasions, men arrived at the victim's home in the hope of cashing in on these supposed fantasies. As the victim posted messages to her door stating these requests were false, the perpetrator posted messages on-line stating that these were simply tests to determine who was in fact worthy of her fantasies.
The victim's mother states that she had men coming to her door at all hours of the night, and that she got dozens of calls by men who would leave filthy, disgusting messages. The victim was eventually forced from her home, suffered from weight loss, lost her job, and developed a fear of going outside of her home (from the L. A. Times, Friday the 22 nd of January, 1999 and Saturday the 23 rd of January, 1999). (2)
Many law enforcement agencies are not well equipped to deal with cyber stalking and the stalkers take advantage of this. The ones that are however are pursuing these cases as stalking cases with an added electronic component. There are differences between Cyberstalking and traditional stalking such as a TS (traditional Stalker) must usually be in the same geographical area, it is easier to get third parties involved such as in posting on message boards against the intended victim and it easy to get their info. out there for everyone to see as illustrated in the case I highlighted above.
Anonymity leaves the cyber stalker in an advantageous position. Unbeknownst to the target, the perpetrator could be in another state, around the corner, or in the next cubicle at work. The perpetrator could be a former friend or lover, a total stranger met in a chat room, or simply a teenager playing a practical joke.(1) web (2) web mind / psychology /cyber stalking/ 5. html? sect = 19 Article: CYBER-STALKING: OBSESSIONAL PURSUIT AND THE DIGITAL CRIMINAL By Wayne Petherick web violence abuse types signs causes effects. htm web (A questionnaire and protection from cyber stalking advice site) "Make no mistake: this kind of harassment can be as frightening and as real as being followed and watched in your neighborhood or in your home. " Vice President Al Gore web (3)
The inability to identify the source of the harassment or threats could be particularly ominous to a cyber stalking victim, and the veil of anonymity might encourage the perpetrator to continue these acts. (3)
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Research essay sample on Law Enforcement January 1999
