Internet Stalking & Harassment
by Jennifer Sharkey
Internet Harassment is the new crime of the 21st century & more than 1 million Americans are cyberstalked each year. It is a federal crime to harass someone on the Internet & not reveal your true identity. Because of a law passed by President Bush in 2006, you must disclose your identity if you annoy, abuse or threaten someone over the Internet. Maximum penalty is 2 years of jail time. As web use increases, so does online harassment. Cyberstalking & online harassment is an electronic extension of the physical form of stalking. Alarmingly, the number of young children harassed by Internet bullies has doubled since 2000 and statistics show that 85% of the younger generation experience cyberbullying.
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Criminals can effortlessly find out information about you online & once they tap into your circle of friends, family & coworkers, their knowledge about you increases. Internet stalking can take many forms & it's important you are aware, such as: hate mail, unsolicited emails, threats, obscene messages, computer virus's & a spread of cruel rumors. Once the stalker/harasser can trace your home address & phone number, the stalking becomes real life. Unfortunately, many people don't take it seriously until this happens. |
Online harassment has become more prevalent on sites such as MySpace & Facebook of which users post pictures & personal information about themselves. Most people are usually targeted in live chat rooms or by posting information on message boards. One of the most recognized cases of this was the October 2006 case of Megan Meier. This raised concern & the need for laws against cyberbullying, of which there are none. Megan hung herself in her bedroom closet after ongoing communication with a peer online who then turned on her after telling her "the world would be a better place without her in it." She was befriended by a fake "Josh" profile posted by a peer & her mother looking for revenge. Fortunately, federal prosecutor's were able to charge the criminal's with violation of MySpace's service terms. In another instance, in October of 1999, Amy Boyer, a 20yr old girl was gunned down by a peer who became obsessed & obtained her personal information including her SS# from online investigation services. In a November 2005 case, a woman's ex-boyfriend created a fake Yahoo profile impersonating her & posting her nude photos. This resulted in her being chased down by men at her work place.
A statement posted in Privacilla.org read's "Crime and privacy have become confused in public debate. This has distracted policy-makers from addressing real problems directly, and it has caused Americans to distrust the delights promised by the Information Age." 
An Internet stalker is defined as "A (usually) tragic male in his late 30s - 40s who spends all his free time hiding from reality whilst he chases girls/women using Internet chat rooms. Will often have deep seated emotional problems and possible pedophile tendencies (as well as a much receded hairline). An artful groomer who is too ashamed of himself to go down a nightclub and meet women like the rest of humanity."
Although these heinous crimes cannot be stopped, there are ways to prevent them. 1) don't respond to flamings(scolding & verbal abuse online) 2) create genderless nicknames 3) change your password often 4) don't flirt online 5) make your MySpace & Facebook accounts "private" 6) never give out personal information 7) use blocking software 8) save offending emails & messages & report them 9) limit your use of IM, bloggs & chat rooms
******If you are ever in this situation you should contact the Internet Service Provider & your local police immediately. Here are some helpful websites:
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