04. What is cyber stalking?

Cyber stalking is a technology based “attack” on one person specially for reasons of anger, revenge or taking control. It can take many forms such as Harassment, embarrassment and humiliation of the victim, harassing family, friends and employers to isolate the victim and use scare tactics to instill fear and more including emptying bank accounts. ,

Cyber stalking uses of Internet, phones or computers, to stalk, control, manipulate, threaten or make unwanted advances towards a child, adult, business or group. Cyber stalking is using to stalk or harass an individual, a group, or an organization with false accusations, defamation, slander and libel.  The predators do this for monitoring people, identity theft, cyber threats, vandalism, solicitation for sex, gathering information to threaten or harass.

Cyber stalking can happen real time or offline. Both are criminal offenses and motivated by a desire to control, intimidate or influence a victim.  A stalker may be an online stranger or a person whom the target knows. May be anonymous and solicit involvement of other people online who do not even know the target.

Cyber stalking is a criminal offense under various state anti-stalking, slander and harassment laws. A conviction can result in a restraining order, probation, or criminal penalties against the assailant, including jail. Cyber stalking seen relatively harmless by the younger generation, can easily evolve into psychological and emotional harm and physical stalking and/or physical/sexual assault. Cyber stalkers and online predators target their victims via websites, chat rooms, discussion forums, message boards, blogs, email and text messaging.

Its not only men Cyber stalking women, women also Cyber stalk men for different reasons. Cyber stalkers need not have to leave their home to find and harass their targets and think that they cannot be physically touched on internet. This makes them feel confident due to invisibility.

A true cyber stalker’s intent is to harm their intended victim using the anonymity and untraceable distance of technology. In many situations, the victims never discover the identity of the cyber stalkers who hurt them, despite their lives being completely upended by the perpetrator.

Cyber stalking is not identity theft. An identity thief, whether stealing from a stranger or a family member, has a very specific goal in mind, mostly a  financial gain. Identity thieves are unconcerned by the consequences of their behavior on the victim’s life, whereas the actions of a cyber stalker are deliberate and focused on the consequences to the victim.