“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.” -Al Gore
In Maine, as of Sept. 17, 2001 it is illegal to “communicate by electronic means” with the intent to harass, annoy, or alarm anyone. This kind of harassment is referred to as “Cyberstalking.” Cyberstalking was first identified as against the law in California. In April 1999 a 50-year-old man was convicted on 1 count of stalking and 3 counts of soliciting sexual assault. The man had impersonated a 28 old woman he was fixated on and posted on message boards the she fantasized about rape along with her address and phone number. On three separate occasions men came to her door and threatened to rape her. About 25 % of all reported cases of stalking are partly Cyberstalking.
Cyberstalkers have a fixation on a certain person and want to control them. Then they act out that need for control in very disturbing ways. Most Cyberstalkers repeatedly and relentlessly send threatening letters to their victim. One victim in California was constantly receiving the number “187” on their cell phone. 187 is the CA penal code for murder. They may also send lewd and/or pornographic material to the victim. According to WHOA, an organization trying to stop online harassment. The most commonly reported way this stalking starts is e-mail followed by Message boards, IM, Web Sites, and Chat. Bloggers are also at a high risk. If you ever are cyberstalked it is important to report it because it is not uncommon for these people to be victimizing more people.
Cyberstalkers are different the regular stalkers in that they don’t always know their victim, some stalkers choose people across the country. This makes it particularly scary for the victim because there is no way for them to tell if it is just some anonymous person or their neighbor across the street. They are also harder to catch and convict because they don’t ever have to appear, so they can’t be positively identified.
Cyberstalking is a growing problem in our world where people get more and more wired every day. Police departments around the country are trying cut back on this, but it is harder then expected. Not only is it hard to find the perpetrators, but also many victims don’t report these incidents. If you are ever stalked it is important to report it or the stalker will be able to continue to new heights with you and other victims that may come along in the future.
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