cyberstalking

Cyberstalking: What is it?

Cyberstalking is a form of mental assault whereby a person harasses a victim by intruding into their life and making them feel fearful. The behaviour can be motivated by malice, obsession, revenge or desire to cause distress it can include:

• False accusations: attempts to damage reputation by telling lies about the person
• Attempts to gain information: trying to find out information about the person from others without permission
• Encouraging others to harass: encouraging other people to develop a negative view about the person and join in harassment
• False victimization: falsely accusing the person of harassing them!!
• Attacks on data or equipment: sending viruses to harm the victims computer
• Ordering goods and services: ordering goods or services that are designed to embarrass the recipient
• Attempts to arrange to meet: trying to get the person to meet them face to face in order to make the relationship progress further (see grooming)

Cyberstalking, what can I do?

• Keep a record, including times, dates and content so if you choose to make a complaint you have evidence of what is happening
• Let someone you trust know what is happening: this might be embarrassing but when someone else knows what’s going on it usually makes it easier to take action that might include talking to the police
• Contact your internet service provider (ISP) what is happening. They can assist you to block the source of these messages
• Don’t respond to cyberstalking messages, responding often encourages the stalker to feel they are being successful in their attempts to make the person feel fearful
• Change your contact details. What a pain!!! Sometimes it’s the only way of preventing ongoing contact. Only give out your new details to trusted friends, and keep them secret from everyone else

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