According to Hazelwood and Koon-Magnin (2013), “Cyber Harassment involves engaging in an act or behavior that torments, annoys, terrorizes, offends, or threatens an individual via email, instant messages, or other means with the intention of harming that person.” (p. 157). Cyberstalking, according to Awati (2021) “is a crime in which someone harasses to stalks a victim using electronic or digital means, such as social media, email, instant messaging, or messages posted to a discussion group or forum.” Both of these definitions are originally derived from Harassment and Stalking respectively. Most cybercrimes are derived from the physical version of the crime due to the evolution of technology itself and also becoming easily accessible over the last 30 years. Technology has had many positive benefits, from being able to communicate via voice or video with friends, family, and businesses domestically and internationally to being able to access technology remotely to provide security or assistance. Technology has also opened the door to nefarious activities like cyber harassment, cyberstalking, and other cybercrimes that vary in severity. When it comes to cyber harassment and cyberstalking, in particular, the increased use and popularity of social media has allowed perpetrators to reach victims either privately, publicly, or anonymously. They can use fake accounts to send inappropriate messages and posts, or collect pictures or other information from the victim’s page to use for the perpetrator’s personal use without permission. Perpetrators can also spread rumors or inaccuracies about the victim through social media that can possibly go viral through the victim’s friends and acquaintances. In more serious instances of cyberstalking, a perpetrator with hacking abilities can illegally access the victim’s items like their phone, computer, or Internet of Things (IoT) devices to view them privately and capture private moments to expose them publicly. With technology being utilized more today to conduct these acts because of the anonymity factor, these attacks do not affect the victim in a direct physical attack sense but primarily have a psychological effect that can affect behavior, affect mental health, can make them physically sick, and in some cases when the victim does not see a way out, they may contemplate suicidal ideations.
Other predatory practices utilized through technology because of anonymity are catfishing and romance scams. Catfishing is when someone uses false images and personas to deceive someone online. Romance scams occur when a perpetrator forms a romantic relationship strictly online over a course of time with an unsuspecting victim usually with the overall intent and end goal of taking advantage of the victim financially. Catfishing and Romance Scams are usually synonymous with each other, but Catfishing does not always have to have a romantic element involved. Depending on how much personal information is shared by the victim and what the perpetrator’s intent is, the information could be used to gravitate this situation from a virtual environment to a dangerously physical one. As technology continues to evolve and acquire more capabilities, the definitions of responsible use of the devices have to be updated and properly defined, especially from a legal standpoint. This will ensure that if inappropriate behavior does occur, the laws in place will be properly enforced and adjudicated to protect the victim’s legal rights and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Sources:
Awati, R. (2021, August 5). What is cyberstalking and how to prevent it? Security. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/cyberstalking
Hazelwood, S. D., & Koon-Magnin, S. (2013). Cyber Stalking and Cyber Harassment Legislation in the United States: A Qualitative Analysis. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 7(2), 155-168. http://proxy.lib.odu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/cyber-stalking-harassment-legislation-united/docview/1492867427/se-2