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Stalking; Behavior Science
Topic Started: Jan 12 2016, 02:49 PM (638 Views)
Doctor Magnus Warlock
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Hello Folks,

A few weeks ago, I conducted extensive research of the various forms of stalking.

The data was quite revealing, to say the least.

As always, I make it a point to share my research with you all.
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reddgirl64

Doctor Magnus Warlock
Jan 12 2016, 02:49 PM
Hello Folks,

A few weeks ago, I conducted extensive research of the various forms of stalking.

The data was quite revealing, to say the least.

As always, I make it a point to share my research with you all.
Do so..

There's a stalker on here! :D
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Doctor Magnus Warlock
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In this age, many use electronic devices to engage in stalking.

Harassment often goes hand-in-hand with stalking.

Quote:
 
Harassment

Whereas content may be offensive in a non-specific way, harassment directs obscenities and derogatory comments at specific individuals focusing for example on gender, race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation. This often occurs in chat rooms, through newsgroups, and by sending hate e-mail to interested parties. Harassment on the internet also includes revenge porn.

There are instances where committing a crime using a computer can lead to an enhanced sentence. For example, in the case of United States v. Neil Scott Kramer, Kramer was served an enhanced sentence according to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual §2G1.3(b)(3)[14] for his use of a cell phone to “persuade, induce, entice, coerce, or facilitate the travel of, the minor to engage in prohibited sexual conduct.” Kramer argued that this claim was insufficient because his charge included persuading through a computer device and his cellular phone technically is not a computer. Although Kramer tried to argue this point, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual states that the term computer "means an electronic, magnetic, optical, electrochemical, or other high speed data processing device performing logical, arithmetic, or storage functions, and includes any data storage facility or communications facility directly related to or operating in conjunction with such device."[15]

Connecticut was the first state to pass a statute making it a criminal offense to harass someone by computer. Michigan, Arizona, and Virginia and South Carolina[16] have also passed laws banning harassment by electronic means.[17][18]

Harassment as defined in the U.S. computer statutes is typically distinct from cyberbullying, in that the former usually relates to a person's "use a computer or computer network to communicate obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threaten any illegal or immoral act," while the latter need not involve anything of a sexual nature.

Although freedom of speech is protected by law in most democratic societies (in the US this is done by the First Amendment), it does not include all types of speech. In fact spoken or written "true threat" speech/text is criminalized because of "intent to harm or intimidate", that also applies for online or any type of network related threats in written text or speech.[19] The US Supreme Court definition of "true threat" is "statements where the speaker means to communicate a serious expression of an intent to commit an act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group".



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybercrime#Obscene_or_offensive_content
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U Thant
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Great thread, Doc, although I think your cliq's old member PurveyorOfMens'Rectum who hath now returned via his Captian acct...might be offended by this thread, when considering he hath stalked me onto four (4) websites now. UTB might be offended, as well, considering when he join in 2010 and started in on me---it made the 2nd website he hath stalked me onto, since 2005.



Nonetheless, this is still a great thread tho; people need to learn the difference between "stalking" vs "discarding the trash" on some website.
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cisslybee2012
The REBEL
The driver behind stalking is always an objection to freedom of thought and movement. The stalker always want to hold someone hostage to his or her way of being.
Edited by cisslybee2012, Jan 12 2016, 03:11 PM.
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U Thant
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cisslybee2012
Jan 12 2016, 03:06 PM
The driver behind stalking is always an objection to freedom of thought and movement. The stalker always want to hold someone hostage to his or her way of being.
Quit plagiarizing me.

As this is exactly what I said when your cliqmates, UTB and gvsl1m and Jaffe aka Captian Obvious, did stalk me onto four (4) websites over the years. I am so, so sick of how people cannot just do it like I do it ;) and contain their relations to the website they are posting on when going thread2thread exposing xenophobes as I 'discard trash' on racism's behalf.
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U Thant
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Ethos Logos Pathos
Jan 12 2016, 03:06 PM
Great thread, Doc, although I think your cliq's old member PurveyorOfMens'Rectum who hath now returned via his Captian acct...might be offended by this thread, when considering he hath stalked me onto four (4) websites now. UTB might be offended, as well, considering when he join in 2010 and started in on me---it made the 2nd website he hath stalked me onto, since 2005.



Nonetheless, this is still a great thread tho; people need to learn the difference between "stalking" vs "discarding the trash" on some website.
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cisslybee2012
The REBEL
Like I had Mr. Sincere stalking me here,

Because I'm a woman whose thinking doesn't align with that of submissiveness in women who instinctively fosters and supports weaknesses in men. I have the courage to stand up to a man and tell him when he's wrong, and come down like a ton of bricks with truth.

He objects to any woman being that way, and if he finds such a woman physically attractive, then his response will be to stalk her.
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Doctor Magnus Warlock
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Let us explore Cyberstalking.

Quote:
 
Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group, or an organization.[1] It may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel. It may also include monitoring, identity theft, threats, vandalism, solicitation for sex, or gathering information that may be used to threaten or harass.

Cyberstalking is often accompanied by realtime or offline stalking.[2] Both are criminal offenses.[3] Both are motivated by a desire to control, intimidate or influence a victim.[4] A stalker may be an online stranger or a person whom the target knows. He may be anonymous and solicit involvement of other people online who do not even know the target.

Cyberstalking is a criminal offense under various state anti-stalking, slander and harassment laws. A conviction can result in a restraining order, probation, or criminal penalties against the assailant, including jail.

Definitions and description

There have been a number of attempts by experts and legislators to define cyberstalking. It is generally understood to be the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group, or an organization.[1] Cyberstalking is a form of cyberbullying, and the terms are often used interchangeably in the media. Both may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel. Cyberstalking may also include monitoring, identity theft, threats, vandalism, solicitation for sex, or gathering information that may be used to threaten or harass. Cyberstalking is often accompanied by realtime or offline stalking.[2] Both are criminal offenses.[3]

Stalking is a continuous process, consisting of a series of actions, each of which may be entirely legal in itself. Technology ethics professor Lambèr Royakkers defines cyberstalking as perpetrated by someone without a current relationship with the victim. About the abusive effects of cyberstalking, he writes that:[5]

[Stalking] is a form of mental assault, in which the perpetrator repeatedly, unwantedly, and disruptively breaks into the life-world of the victim, with whom he has no relationship (or no longer has), with motives that are directly or indirectly traceable to the affective sphere. Moreover, the separated acts that make up the intrusion cannot by themselves cause the mental abuse, but do taken together (cumulative effect).

Distinguishing cyberstalking from other acts

It is important to draw a distinction between cyber-trolling and cyber-stalking. Research has shown that actions that can be perceived to be harmless as a one-off can be considered to be trolling, whereas if it is part of a persistent campaign then it can be considered stalking.[6] However, it has also been shown that even if something is cyberstalking, it can still be lawful if it can be considered to be scrutinizing a public figure, such as a politician or comedian.[7]


TM Motive Mode Gravity Description
1 Playtime Cyber-bantering Cyber-trolling In the moment and quickly regret
2 Tactical Cyber-trickery Cyber-trolling In the moment but don’t regret and continue
3 Strategic Cyber-bullying Cyber-stalking Go out of way to cause problems, but without a sustained and planned long-term campaign
4 Domination Cyber-hickery Cyber-stalking Goes out of the way to create rich media to target one or more specific individuals

Cyberstalking author Alexis Moore separates cyberstalking from identity theft, which is financially motivated.[8] Her definition, which was also used by the Republic of the Philippines in their legal description, is as follows:[9]

Cyberstalking is a technologically-based "attack" on one person who has been targeted specifically for that attack for reasons of anger, revenge or control. Cyberstalking can take many forms, including:

- harassment, embarrassment and humiliation of the victim
- emptying bank accounts or other economic control such as ruining the victim's credit score
- harassing family, friends and employers to isolate the victim
- scare tactics to instill fear and more[8]

Identifying and detecting cyberstalking

CyberAngels has written about how to identify cyberstalking:[10]

When identifying cyberstalking "in the field," and particularly when considering whether to report it to any kind of legal authority, the following features or combination of features can be considered to characterize a true stalking situation: malice, premeditation, repetition, distress, obsession, vendetta, no legitimate purpose, personally directed, disregarded warnings to stop, harassment and threats.

A number of key factors have been identified in cyberstalking:

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

- False accusations. Many cyberstalkers try to damage the reputation of their victim and turn other people against them. They post false information about them on websites. They may set up their own websites, blogs or user pages for this purpose. They post allegations about the victim to newsgroups, chat rooms, or other sites that allow public contributions such as Wikipedia or Amazon.com.[11]

- Attempts to gather information about the victim. Cyberstalkers may approach their victim's friends, family and work colleagues to obtain personal information. They may advertise for information on the Internet, or hire a private detective.[12]

- Monitoring their target's online activities and attempting to trace their IP address in an effort to gather more information about their victims.[13]

- Encouraging others to harass the victim. Many cyberstalkers try to involve third parties in the harassment. They may claim the victim has harmed the stalker or his/her family in some way, or may post the victim's name and telephone number in order to encourage others to join the pursuit.

- False victimization. The cyberstalker will claim that the victim is harassing him/her. Bocij writes that this phenomenon has been noted in a number of well-known cases.[14]

- Attacks on data and equipment. They may try to damage the victim's computer by sending viruses.

- Ordering goods and services. They order items or subscribe to magazines in the victim's name. These often involve subscriptions to pornography or ordering sex toys then having them delivered to the victim's workplace.

- Arranging to meet. Young people face a particularly high risk of having cyberstalkers try to set up meetings between them.[14]

- The posting of defamatory or derogatory statements. Using web pages and message boards to incite some response or reaction from their victim.[15]

Prevalence and impact

In January 2009, the Bureau of Justice Statistics in the United States released the study "Stalking Victimization in the United States," which was sponsored by the Office on Violence Against Women. The report, based on supplemental data from the National Crime Victimization Survey, showed that one in four stalking victims had been cyberstalked as well, with the perpetrators using internet-based services such as email, instant messaging, GPS, or spyware. The final report stated that approximately 1.2 million victims had stalkers who used technology to find them.[16] The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), in Washington D.C. has released statistics that there are 3.4 million stalking victims each year in the United States. Of those, one in four reported experiencing cyberstalking.[17]

Types

Stalking by strangers

According to Joey Rushing, a District Attorney of Franklin County, Alabama, there isn't a single definition of a cyberstalker, and they can be either strangers to the victim or have a former/present relationship. "[Cyberstalkers] come in all shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds. They patrol Web sites looking for an opportunity to take advantage of people."[17]

Gender-based stalking
Harassment and stalking because of gender online is common, and can include rape threats[19][20][21] and other threats of violence, as well as the posting of the victim's personal information.[22] It is blamed for limiting victims' activities online or driving them offline entirely, thereby impeding their participation in online life and undermining their autonomy, dignity, identity, and opportunities.[23]

Of intimate partners
Cyberstalking of intimate partners is the online harassment of a current or former romantic partner. It is a form of domestic violence, and experts say its purpose is to control the victim in order to encourage social isolation and create dependency. Harassers may send repeated insulting or threatening e-mails to their victims, monitor or disrupt their victims' e-mail use, and use the victim's account to send e-mails to others posing as the victim or to purchase goods or services the victim does not want. They may also use the Internet to research and compile personal information about the victim, to use in order to harass him or her.[24]

Of celebrities and public persons
Profiling of stalkers shows that almost always they stalk someone they know or, via delusion, think they know, as is the case with stalkers of celebrities or public persons in which the stalkers feel they know the celebrity even though the celebrity does not know them.[25] As part of the risk they take for being in the public eye, celebrities and public figures are often targets of lies or made-up stories in tabloids as well as by stalkers, some even seeming to be fans.

In one noted case in 2011, actress Patricia Arquette quit Facebook after alleged cyberstalking. In her last post, Arquette explained that her security warned her Facebook friends to never accept friend requests from people they do not actually know. Arquette stressed that just because people seemed to be fans did not mean they were safe. The media issued a statement that Arquette planned to communicate with fans exclusively through her Twitter account in the future.[26]

By anonymous online mobs
Web 2.0 technologies have enabled online groups of anonymous people to self-organize to target individuals with online defamation, threats of violence and technology-based attacks. These include publishing lies and doctored photographs, threats of rape and other violence, posting sensitive personal information about victims, e-mailing damaging statements about victims to their employers, and manipulating search engines to make damaging material about the victim more prominent.[citation needed] Victims frequently respond by adopting pseudonyms or going offline entirely.[27]

Experts attribute the destructive nature of anonymous online mobs to group dynamics, saying that groups with homogeneous views tend to become more extreme. As members reinforce each others' beliefs, they fail to see themselves as individuals and lose a sense of personal responsibility for their destructive acts. In doing so they dehumanize their victims, becoming more aggressive when they believe they are supported by authority figures. Internet service providers and website owners are sometimes blamed for not speaking out against this type of harassment.[27]

A notable example of online mob harassment was the experience of American software developer and blogger Kathy Sierra. In 2007 a group of anonymous individuals attacked Sierra, threatening her with rape and strangulation, publishing her home address and Social Security number, and posting doctored photographs of her. Frightened, Sierra cancelled her speaking engagements and shut down her blog, writing "I will never feel the same. I will never be the same."[27]

Perpetrators
Motives and profile
Mental profiling of digital criminals has identified psychological and social factors that motivate stalkers as: envy; pathological obsession (professional or sexual); unemployment or failure with own job or life; intention to intimidate and cause others to feel inferior; the stalker is delusional and believes he/she "knows" the target; the stalker wants to instill fear in a person to justify his/her status; belief they can get away with it (anonymity); intimidation for financial advantage or business competition; revenge over perceived or imagined rejection.[30][31]

Four types of cyberstalkers
Preliminary work by Leroy McFarlane and Paul Bocij has identified four types of cyberstalkers: the vindictive cyberstalkers noted for the ferocity of their attacks; the composed cyberstalker whose motive is to annoy; the intimate cyberstalker who attempts to form a relationship with the victim but turns on them if rebuffed; and collective cyberstalkers, groups with a motive.[32] According to Antonio Chacón Medina, author of Una nueva cara de Internet, El acoso ("A new face of the Internet: stalking"), the general profile of the harasser is cold, with little or no respect for others. The stalker is a predator who can wait patiently until vulnerable victims appear, such as women or children, or may enjoy pursuing a particular person, whether personally familiar to them or unknown. The harasser enjoys and demonstrates their power to pursue and psychologically damage the victim.[33]

Behaviors
Cyberstalkers find their victims by using search engines, online forums, bulletin and discussion boards, chat rooms, and more recently, through social networking sites,[34] such as MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Friendster, Twitter, and Indymedia, a media outlet known for self-publishing. They may engage in live chat harassment or flaming or they may send electronic viruses and unsolicited e-mails.[35] Cyberstalkers may research individuals to feed their obsessions and curiosity. Conversely, the acts of cyberstalkers may become more intense, such as repeatedly instant messaging their targets.[36]

More commonly they will post defamatory or derogatory statements about their stalking target on web pages, message boards, and in guest books designed to get a reaction or response from their victim, thereby initiating contact.[35] In some cases, they have been known to create fake blogs in the name of the victim containing defamatory or pornographic content.

When prosecuted, many stalkers have unsuccessfully attempted to justify their behavior based on their use of public forums, as opposed to direct contact. Once they get a reaction from the victim, they will typically attempt to track or follow the victim's internet activity. Classic cyberstalking behavior includes the tracing of the victim's IP address in an attempt to verify their home or place of employment.[35]

Some cyberstalking situations do evolve into physical stalking, and a victim may experience abusive and excessive phone calls, vandalism, threatening or obscene mail, trespassing, and physical assault.[35] Moreover, many physical stalkers will use cyberstalking as another method of harassing their victims.[37][38]

A 2007 study led by Paige Padgett from the University of Texas Health Science Center found that there was a false degree of safety assumed by women looking for love online.[39][40]

Cyberstalking legislation

Legislation on cyberstalking varies from country to country. Cyberstalking and cyberbullying are relatively new phenomena, but that does not mean that crimes committed through the network are not punishable under legislation drafted for that purpose. Although there are often existing laws that prohibit stalking or harassment in a general sense, legislators sometimes believe that such laws are inadequate or do not go far enough, and thus bring forward new legislation to address this perceived shortcoming. In the United States, for example, nearly every state has laws that address cyberstalking, cyberbullying, or both.[41]

In countries such as the US, in practice, there is little legislative difference between the concepts of "cyberbullying" and "cyberstalking." The primary distinction is one of age; if adults are involved, the act is usually termed cyberstalking, while among children it is usually referred to as cyberbullying. However, this distinction is one of semantics, and many laws treat bullying and stalking as much the same issue.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberstalking
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reddgirl64

Doctor,

Computer harassment is a real crime, and most police/feds have cyber teams, monitoring and tracking down on these criminals.

To threaten someone via the internet, to use someone's likeness without permission, are crimes. That's why you thread about social media is important.

People need to be educated about the laws regarding social media and stalking/harassment.

Some words typed, such as DHS, terrorist, racism, are words that garner a peep on the state/federal sites. They will check them out for safety reasons, and then will periodically check for updates.

Most have been deem harmless, however. Just mainly people trying to be tough via a computer, in the safety of home.
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