How does cyber technology impact interactions between offenders and victims?

Technology allows us to communicate with other people whether it’s through cell phones, email, video chat, text messages, or social media. However, it also opens a gate for cybercriminals to commit crimes such as harassment, and threats, intimidate others, and cause harm to other people. The more technology grows the more cyber crimes will be committed. Two of the main issues that cybercriminals commit are cyber harassment and cyberstalking.

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” (Hazelwood & Koon-Magnin, 2013). There are cases where harassment can lead to someone committing suicide, so this is a very serious matter. Cyber harassment is very similar to traditional harassment, but the only difference is that the crime is committed through electronic devices with the intent to harm a targeted person. Most cases of cyber harassment are done through social media, but to ensure that their identity is hidden the suspect usually creates a fake profile with a different name with the intent to insult people. The fake profile can be someone the victim might know or just a random person. But I’m guessing the suspect creates an account that identifies with someone the victim might know so the victim doesn’t suspect something unusual. Most acts of cyber harassment involve cyberstalking.

The definition of cyberstalking entails “the repeated pursuit of an individual using electronic or Internet-capable devices” (Hazelwood & Koon-Magnin, 2013). “Repeated pursuits include any unwanted electronic communications, and may be threatening, coercive, or intimidating” (Hazelwood & Koon-Magnin, 2013). Stalking creates a sense of fear, terror, intimidation, stress, or anxiety.  “Because of the repetitive nature of cyber harassment, the victim may lose a sense of control over his/her own life, never knowing when the stalker may appear or contact the victim again” (Hazelwood & Koon-Magnin, 2013).

References:

Hazelwood, S. J., & 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. https://www.cybercrimejournal.com/hazelwoodkoonmagninijcc2013vol7issue2.pdf