What is Cyberstalking?
Although there is no universally accepted definition of cyberstalking, the term is used in this report to refer to the use of the Internet, e-mail, or other electronic communications devices to stalk another person. Stalking generally involves harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly, such as following a person, appearing at a person’s home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person’s property. Most stalking laws require that the perpetrator make a credible threat of violence against the victim; others include threats against the victim’s immediate family; and still others require only that the alleged stalker’s course of conduct constitute an implied threat.(1) While some conduct involving annoying or menacing behavior might fall short of illegal stalking, such behavior may be a prelude to stalking and violence and should be treated seriously. Protecting Children from On-Line Danger
From the U.S. Department of Justice Although there is no universally accepted definition of cyberstalking, the term is used in this report to refer to the use of the Internet, e-mail, or other electronic communications devices to stalk another person. Stalking generally involves harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly, such as following a person, appearing at a person’s home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person’s property. Most stalking laws require that the perpetrator make a credible threat of violence against the victim; others include threats against the victim’s immediate family; and still others require only that the alleged stalker’s course of conduct constitute an implied threat. While some conduct involving annoying or menacing behavior might fall short of illegal stalking, such behavior may be a prelude to stalking and violence and should be treated seriously. Nature
The term Cyberstalking refers to the act of stalking an individual or group through electronic means, particularly the Internet. Cyberstalkers employ the communication capabilities and access to information made available by the Internet to monitor, solicit, slander, and otherwise harass their cyber victim, who may be an individual or group. Gathering information on an individual or group typically needs to be carried out in a menacing manner in order to be qualified as Cyberstalking, wherein a threat is made or implied. Cyberstalkers may use ordinary electronic means such as search engines, message boards, social networking sites, email, and other tools to monitor the activity of their victims. Cyberstalking may also involve illegal means such as computer hacking to breach the victim’s personal information, or attacking the victim’s hardware and data with viruses and other electronic violations. Tracing a victim’s Internet Protocol (IP) address is also a common form of Cyberstalking,
