What is Cyber Stalking?

Cyber Stalking can be defined as the repeated acts harassment or threatening behavior of the cyber criminal towards the victim by using Internet services.

Stalking in General terms can be referred to as the repeated acts of harassment targeting the victim such as…

1. Following the victim
2. Making harassing phone calls
3. Killing the victims pet
4. Vandalizing victims property
5. Leaving written messages or objects

Stalking may be followed by serious violent acts such as physical harm to the victim and the same has to be treated and viewed seriously. It all depends on the course of conduct of the stalker.

Cyber-stalking refers to the use of the Internet, e-mail, or other electronic communications device to stalk another person. It is a relatively new form of harassment, unfortunately, rising to alarming levels especially in big cities like Mumbai.

Who is a cyber stalker?

A cyber stalker sends harassing or threatening electronic communication to the victim.
Both kinds of stalkers – online and offline - have desire to control the victim’s life.

1. A typical cyber stalker collects all personal information about the victim such as name, family background, telephone numbers of residence and work place, daily routine of the victim, address of residence and place of work, date of birth etc. If the stalker is the victim’s acquaintances, he/ she has easy access to this information. If the stalker is a stranger, he/ she collects the information from internet resources such as various profiles, the victim may have filled in while opening chat or e-mail accounts or while signing an account with some website.
   
2. The stalker may post this information on any website related to sex-services or dating services, posing as if the victim is posting this information and invite the people to call the victim on her telephone numbers to have sexual services. A stalker even uses very filthy and obscene language to invite the interested persons.
   
3. People of all kind from nook and corner of the World, who come across this information, start calling the victim at her residence and/or work place, asking for sexual services or relationships.
   
4. Some stalkers subscribe the e-mail account of the victim to innumerable pornographic and sex sites, because of which victim starts receiving such kind of unsolicited e-mails.
   
5. Some stalkers keep on sending repeated e-mails asking for various kinds of favors or threaten the victim.
   
6. The stalkers follow their victim from message board to message board. They "hangout" on the same boards as their victim, many times posting notes to the victim, making sure the victim is aware that he/she is being followed. Many times they will "flame" their victim (becoming argumentative, insulting) to get their attention.
   
7. Stalkers will almost always make contact with their victims through email. The letters may be loving, threatening, or sexually explicit. They will many times use multiple names when contacting the victim.
   
8. In extreme cases, the stalker becomes bold enough to contact victim via telephone to make calls to the victim to threaten, harass, or intimidate him/ her. Ultimately, the stalker is even known to track the victim to his/ her home.

When does cyber stalking happen?

In many cases, the cyber stalker and the victim had a prior relationship, and the cyber stalking begins when the victim attempts to break off the relationship. However, there also have been many instances of cyber stalking by strangers. Given the enormous amount of personal information available through the Internet, a cyber stalker can easily locate private information about a potential victim with a few mouse clicks or keystrokes.

The fact that cyber stalking does not involve physical contact may create the misperception that it is more benign than physical stalking. This is not necessarily true.

As the Internet becomes an ever more integral part of our personal and professional lives, stalkers can take advantage of the ease of communications as well as increased access to personal information. In addition, the ease of use and non-confrontational, impersonal, and sometimes anonymous nature of Internet communications may remove disincentives to cyber stalking.

Put another way, whereas a potential stalker may be unwilling or unable to confront a victim in person or on the telephone, he or she may have little hesitation sending harassing or threatening electronic communications to a victim. Finally, as with physical stalking, online harassment and threats may be a prelude to more serious behavior, including physical violence.