•  
  •  
 

Abstract

After deciding to end the relationship, Tina carefully broke all ties with her ex-boyfriend.1 Then, the first blog post went live. The post was in Tina’s name, discussing her background as a business school graduate who worked in commodities at a bank and then transferred to real estate. The post took a dark turn as it went on to describe Tina as an escort and provided her phone number and address. As more blog posts went live, more people began harassing Tina by looking for an escort. Despite such harassment, Tina was looking for a new job. She received a few offers, then radio silence. She knew the employers were googling her, and she knew exactly what they were finding. Tina’s story reveals how cyberstalking can affect one’s personal life, mental health, job prospects, and financial situation. Cyberstalking involves the use of technology to make an individual fearful or concerned about his or her safety. Cyberstalkers generally employ the Internet through e-mails, blogs, instant messages, video messages, chat rooms, social networks, or other websites, which intimidate, harass, and create fear in victims. Cyberstalking is harassing in nature and may include revealing private information; sending threatening messages through text messages or social media; calling or messaging repeatedly and constantly; posting derogatory posts on social media; and sending unwanted and inappropriate photographs or videos. There are infinite methods and forms of communication and surveillance a cyberstalker can use. Also, there is no typical or average method used in the context of cyberstalking. This is one reason why it is so challenging to hold perpetrators accountable. Statutes and civil remedies must be very broad to cover all the ways in which a cyberstalker can act.

Last Page

32

Download

Share

COinS