What are the characteristics of victims of cyberstalking?

As with stalking, cyberstalking causes physical and emotional consequences in victims, including stomach trouble, sleep disorders, anger, fear, confusion [4,6], distress, anxiety, and depression.

What are the elements of cyberstalking?

Some examples of cyberstalking include (but are not limited to): unwanted/unsolicited threatening or harassing emails. unwanted and/or disturbing pages, instant messages, text or “sext” messages (“sexts” or “sexting” refers to sending explicit photos or messages cell phone to cell phone)

What are the principles of cyberstalking?

Cyberstalking involves the use of information and communications technology (ICT) to perpetrate more than one incident intended to repeatedly harass, annoy, attack, threaten, frighten, and/or verbally abuse individuals (UNODC, 2015; Maras, 2016).

What defines cyberstalking?

Cyberstalking involves using the internet, cell phone, and/or any other electronic communication device to stalk another person.

What are the different types of cyber stalking?

Cyberstalking Examples

Posting offensive, suggestive, or rude comments online. Sending threatening, lewd, or offensive emails or messages to the victim. Joining the same groups and forums as the victim. Releasing the victim’s confidential information online.

What are some examples of cyberstalking?

Examples of cyberstalking include:
  • Sending unwanted, frightening, or obscene emails, text messages, or instant messages (IMs)
  • Harassing or threatening you on social media.
  • Tracking your computer and internet use.
  • Using technology such as GPS to track where you are.

How one can identify and detect cyber stalking?

Set (or reset) privacy settings on your devices

If you haven’t already, go to your privacy settings on your social media accounts, and make sure that only your approved contacts can message you. A cyberstalker can create new accounts to try and contact you, which is why you need to prevent them from regaining access.

What are the effects of cyberstalking?

Cyberstalking (CS) can have major psychosocial impacts on individuals. Victims report a number of serious consequences of victimization such as increased suicidal ideation, fear, anger, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology. Research is largely limited to quantitative outcome research.

What is cyberstalking what type of offenses can occur that could be defined as cyberstalking?

It is a form of cyber extortion. It occurs when individuals demand their victims provide them with sexual images, sexual favors, or other things of value. There is no specific federal sextortion offense, but it falls under the federal cyberstalking law. U.S. Department of Justice Bulletin: Cyber Misbehavior.

What is online harassment and cyberstalking?

Online harassment becomes “cyberstalking” when repeated unwanted communications persist over time to the extent that victims fear for their personal safety and security, experience chronic anxiety about loss of quality of life, and undergo an erosion of certainty and predictability about what to expect each day.

What is the most common consequence of stalking?

Victims of stalking experience a number of disruptive psychological consequences of stalking, including significant fear and safety concerns, as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (2).

How do you deal with cyberstalking?

How to Cope With Cyberstalking
  1. Tell the person to stop. Respond only once to the person cyberstalking you and tell them to stop contacting you. …
  2. Block the person. Make sure you block the person cyberstalking you from all your accounts. …
  3. Refuse to respond to any contact. …
  4. Change email address and screen names.

Who is likely to be a victim of stalking?

Stalking is a crime in all 50 states and at the federal level, and it can happen to anyone regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geographic location, or personal associations. The majority of stalking victims are women and most stalkers are men, but men can be victims, too.

Who is the most common target of stalking?

Adults between 18 and 29 years old are the primary targets of stalking, comprising 52 percent of all victims. Most stalking cases involve perpetrators and victims who know each other; 23 percent of all female victims and 36 percent of all male victims are stalked by strangers.

What is the most common type of stalking?

Simple Obsessional: This is the most common type of stalker. The stalker is usually a male and the focus of the stalking is an ex-wife, ex-lover or former boss.

What kind of person stalks someone?

Stalkers are often obsessive in multiple areas of their life including their romantic inclinations. They usually have repetitive thought patterns that play like a broken record, so they gradually become so preoccupied with their target, they’re unable to sleep, forget to eat, and let their jobs go to the wayside.

What causes people to stalk?

According to a 2012 study published in the journal Aggression and Violent Behavior, “Motivations for stalking include a delusional belief in romantic destiny, a desire to reclaim a prior relationship, a sadistic urge to torment the victim, or a psychotic over-identification with the victim and the desire to replace him …

What are stalkers half life?

Stalkers are humans who have been drastically altered, both physically and mentally, through extreme, brutal surgery by the Combine. They are servants, mindlessly operating Combine machinery, and guarding the core in the Citadel.

How do you deal with Erotomaniac?

Best coping strategy

Ignore the erotomaniac. Do not communicate with him or even acknowledge his existence. The erotomaniac clutches at straws and often suffers from ideas of reference. He tends to blow out of proportion every comment or gesture of his “loved one”.

Why do we stalk on social media?

Social media stalking, especially between romantic partners, is usually a sign that one partner feels a bit insecure in the relationship, leading to paranoia (or sometimes justified jealousy), which can lead to a whole lot of internet stalking (and even violation of privacy).

Are stalkers lonely?

Most stalkers are lonely and socially incompetent, but all have the capacity to frighten and distress their victims. Bringing stalking to an end requires a mixture of appropriate legal sanctions and therapeutic interventions.