What is Cyberstalking?

What is Cyberstalking?

Cyberstalking, which is simply an extension of the physical form of stalking, is where the electronic mediums such as the Internet are used to pursue, harass or contact another in an unsolicited fashion. Most often, given the vast distances that the Internet spans, this behaviour will never manifest itself in the physical sense but this does not mean that the pursuit is any less distressing. There are a wide variety of means by which individuals may seek out and harass individuals even though they may not share the same geographic borders, and this may present a range of physical, emotional, and psychological consequences to the victim.

Can cyberstalkers really be dangerous?

YES! If a stalker takes it off-line and you start receiving snail mail or harassing phone calls from the stalker then they know where you live. You should contact your local law enforcement agency or the FBI immediately. When a stalker takes it "off-line" they are far more likely to pose a physical threat to the individual being stalked.

What should I do if I think I am being stalked or harassed online?

Tell the person harassing you in straight forward terms, "Leave me alone, stop harassing me. Do not contact me again." If you are in a chat room or using and instant messenger (IM) program log off immediately and stay off-line for at least 24 hours.
Do not reply to anything else the harasser says. No reply to emails taunts or lies said about you. Do NOT REPLY! Harassment is a form of power over you. If you take that power away from the harasser and refuse to "play their game" then you have become empowered instead. You are now in charge!
If the problem only exists on one system then go off-line and completely change your online identity. This means changing your nickname and all the information you have listed in your setup. Everything must be changed! You may need to open a new member account and change everything in your profile.
In the case of email harassment you need to contact the harasser's ISP (Internet Service Provider) and make a complaint.
Stay out of problem chat rooms.
Don't give out your IM number except to "very" trusted friends and tell them not to give it out to anyone else.
Be certain all of your online profiles do not contain any personally identifying information about you, such as age, sex, address, phone number, school attended and teams you play on or where you work.
Keep all files that pertain to the stalker for evidence.
Keep all e-mails that originate from the harasser or stalker and any replies you sent for evidence.
If you feel you or your family is in physical danger from this stalker, or the stalker knows where you live or has made physical threats against you- CALL YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR THE FBI IMMEDIATELY!

True Story
Back ages ago when I knew next to nothing about the Internet, 4 years ago, that I myself had a cyberstalker. It was a terrifying experience that I don't care to ever go through again nor for anyone else to. Before it was over this person had access to every Internet program I used, Yahoo instant messenger, ICQ, and MSN! Email address, home address, and total access to my computer (placed a backdoor on my PC). I felt like this stranger was right in my livingroom except I couldn't lock my doors to keep him out.
Every time I turned my PC on there was some sign of "him" messages, changing file names, even deleted files altogether. In a panic I formatted my hard-drive, not once but twice to no avail. I was really stupid in those days! When I deleted everything the police could do nothing at all. They were very sweet though and although a formal complaint wasn't filed they made a point of passing the word and for a couple months after that our neighborhood saw more Michigan State Police cars than it had in years. Drive Bys of the good kind - checking on me and making their presence known to anyone who may be watching. Thanks again Gentleman! I now have a great program called ZoneAlarm that tells me anytime someone tries to access my computer - they only get in if I say they can. Just to be safe I disconnect my modem line when I'm not at the computer (I set up my PC so the phone line is easy to get to). Also when meeting someone on-line I save everything including instant messages. Yes sometimes that does get "space consuming" but it's worth it to me if someone starts stalking! Better safe than sorry!