Of the 3.4 victims of stalking in the United States each year, one in four admit to being cyberstalked. In a world where the use and prevalence of technology is increasing, so is the amount and threat of Cyberstalking. There is no universally accepted definition for cyberstalking, but for this purpose it can be defined as the repeated use of some sort of technology(s) to threaten and/or harass an individual. For example, threatening facebook messages and frightening e-mails.
Anyone can be a Cyberstalker and anyone can be a Victim
Just as there is no one definition of cyberstalking, the same can go for cyberstalkers. Cyberstalkers can range from random individuals waiting to prey on vulnerable online strangers to corporate cyber stalkers in which companies will harass groups in hopes of some sort of financial gain. Celebrities are often hot targets of cyberstalking. Top Model Kourtney Reppert battled with a man sending her emails threatening to kill her. Actress Patricia Arquette also deleted her facebook after feeling threatened by several of the supposed “fans” adding her on Facebook.
Celebrities are not the only people being Cyberstalked. University of Maryland student, Hedeya Mizrahi, feels as though she is being cyberstalked. The bouncer of a popular College Park Bar, Terrapin’s Turf, added her on facebook and has been liking several of her pictures. Hedeya is confused as to how the bouncer even found her on facebook in the first place and now feels uncomfortable going to the bar for the chances she may run into him.
Saudi Arabian Native, Mary MacDonald also faces cyber harassment from overseas. Several of MacDonald’s neighbors were extremely jealous of her financial affluence and ability to come to America and study overseas. From the Library at Colorado University-Boulder, Mary oftentimes recieves threatening messages from her childhood friend and neighbor Malook. MacDonald does not feel physically threatened by Malook as they are “separated by an ocean,” but admits that certain messages are mentally traumatizing. Malook has sent messages saying things as disgusting and graphic as “The next time I see you I am going to cut off your boobs.” When asked if she does anything about these messages she simply shrugs and says no. She has tried reporting them on Facebook in the past, but nothing ever happens. Her reasoning for not doing anything is because she does not think it will go anywhere and she would prefer to have it affect her life as little as possible.
Just one Cyberstalker can lead to a lifetime of Repercussions
Gail Chmela a student at Loyola University Maryland has been the victim of a Cyberstalker for just over three years. The stalking all stemmed from a harmless facebook friend request in 2012, Chmela’s junior year of high school. The add came from a girl who attended Chmela’s rival high school in the same town. The two had several mutual friends, were the same age, and lived in the same town, thus, she felt no real threat in accepting the friend request. Following multiple facebook messages and other attempts at cyber interaction, Gail began to feel uncomfortable about this entire situation. She still felt no real threat because the girl was a high school student just like herself. Three years and several attempts at filing a restraining order later, Gail Chmela is still being cyberstalked by the same young woman. Chmela has since been forced to delete her facebook and can only send emails through certain secure servers. Gail’s parents have tried bringing this case to court but there is not enough evidence and support on her side to create any type of strong defence. Gail’s best friend and boyfriend now constantly receive messages from the girl asking questions about Gail from several and her facebook’s aliases.
The Aftermath of Cyberstalking can be more detrimental than the Stalking Itself and result in seriously psychological trauma
It is very likely that a cyberstalker will never come into personal contact with their victims. Although this sounds like good news, the aftermath of cyberstalking can be extremely detrimental to a person’s success in the future. Cyberstalking has effects on mental and physical health, work, school, and a person’s social life.
Common effects on physical health include fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and very commonly and increase in drug and alcohol intake which can result in even worse health issues. Victims of cyberstalking can develop post-traumatic stress disorders and often times will blame themselves and feel guilty and embarrassed about what happened. Victims also tend to notice a drop in their grades or even drop out of school. It is extremely difficult for victims to trust people after traumatic events like this therefore, they find it very difficult to make new friends and find romantic partners. This trauma also sometimes results in loosing life-long friendships.
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Preventing Cyberstalking can be as Easy as Not Sharing Personal Information on the Web
Do NOT share personal information on the internet. We are all eager to share what fancy restaurant were eating at for our friends birthday and post pictures from the party we went to the other night, but is it really worth it? Sharing your location on any social media, even if you have private settings, is basically asking to be found by a stalker. A Facebook status or Tweet that reveals that you are home alone or lost makes you vulnerable to all the wrong people. The easiest way to prevent a cyber stalker is to simply keep private information private. Private information includes your whereabouts, who you are with, and what you are doing.
Amidst the danger in making a social life public, people are still incredibly tempted by it. In todays society you can make someone think you are cool simply by posting all the wonderful activities you are participating in on Facebook and Instagram. This interesting phenomenon perplexes many, yet the teenage and young adult population thrive from it.
If the threat of cyber stalking is not deterring from your desire to post your life on the web, there a few key pieces of information that should be kept private, even if it lead to the demize of your social life.
A home address should never be revealed. Whether its because you are inviting people to a party or hosting a fundraiser at your home, your address should never be open to the public. Spread awareness of your address by sending private messages to only those invited or attending. Bottom line, the less people that have the exact coordinates to find you, the better.
Cyber Stalking is a Criminal Offense in the United States of America.
If someone is convicted of Cyber Stalking, their punishment can range from a restraining order, to probation, to jail time. There is a lack of interest in cyber crime in the United States, leaving many of its cases to be dealt with by state legislation. While some states have specific laws pertaining to cyber stalking, several state’s have broad laws that could potentially include cyber stalking. Because of the large breadth of these laws and openness, if cyber stalkers find the right lawyers it is easy for them to find loop holes within the laws and never be convicted.
Chmela’s family has tried to bring her stalker Karmijit to court several times, but simply can not get the case to trial because she has found out every way to maintain her innocence within the law. Chmela is just one of the many people who go through life without having their Cyberstalker put to justice.
This problem is exactly why Mary MacDonald does nothing about Malook in Saudia Arabia. Trying to make the harassment into a court case would wind up in an international scandal. The money, time, and stress of all this is scarier to MacDonald than the disgusting, graphic messages she receives pretty regularly.
If you are being harassed, tell the stalker to STOP.
If you are a victim of cyberstalking, do not hide or be afraid to seek help.The first thing one should do when being harassed by someone online is to very clearly tell them to stop. Should one need to prove their unwillingness to engage in what the stalker was trying to do their needs to be concrete evidence.
Everything should be saved. Save all pictures, e-mails, text messages, voicemails. Whatever the stalker is sending you can be used against them. Sometimes deleting a message seems like the easiest way to cope with it, but it is important that all this be saved. Not all cases of cyber stalking are worth the cost of lawyers and the court. The main goal is that the harasser stops trying to contact you. Find satisfaction in knowing that you are no longer a victim rather and focus on your well being prior to the incident rather than wasting energy on what is happening to the perpetrator.
Never be nervous or afraid to seek help. You are not alone and there are people not only willing but glad to help, no matter the situation.
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