Exposing cyberstalking
By Michael Lalonde (Ontario Daily Bulletin)
Michael Lalonde is a writer in California.
Cyberstalking Explained
What is "Cyberstalking?"
Because cyberstalking is a form of stalking, it may be helpful to start
by defining "stalking." While there have been a number of definitions
offered in the literature and laws, the common elements of the
definitions seem to be:
(1) repeated and unwanted behaviors whereby one individual attempts to
contact another individual, and
2) the behavior causes the victim to feel threatened or to feel some
sense of fear or dread.
Most definitions do not require explicit threats of harm or violence. Nor
is there any requirement that the stalker intends to cause the victim to
feel threatened (even though some laws do require intent for
criminalization of the behavior).
Consistent with the above, the term "cyberstalking" refers to situations
where someone pursues and repeatedly attempts to contact someone via the
Internet -- via E-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, bulletin boards,
web-based discussion fora, IRC, and/or usenet groups -- and the pattern
of behavior results in the victim feeling threatened. Note that repeated
unwanted emails do not necessarily constitute "cyberstalking," because
there is a difference between "harassment" and "stalking." The generally
accepted standard is whether the communications are such that "any
reasonable person" would experience fear or dread.
As used here, cyberstalking and cyberharassment may also involve signing
the individual up for mail lists so that they receive objectionable
material or attempting to gain control of the victim's computer or
hardware (through "cracking" or transmission of trojans).
What distinguishes "cyberstalking" from "cyberharassment" are the pursuit
and fear aspects: the cyberstalker follows the individual around the
Internet (e.g., signing up for mail lists that the individual is likely
to be on, reading and/or posting to usenet groups the individual
frequents, using web sites to research and obtain personal information
about the individual, etc.), sending email to the person or posting about
the person -- and as a result of that behavior, the individual
experiences fear or some sense of dread or threat.
Not all cyberharassers engage in cyberstalking. Similarly, not all
cyberstalkers may turn to offline harassment or stalking. Although the
traditional legal definitions of "stalking" generally incorporate some
threat of violence to the target or the target's family, instances of
cyberstalking where there has been no clear threat of violence but
evidence of "real life" harassment should also be treated seriously as we
currently have no data to help us predict whether a cyberstalker will
turn violent. All we can do is predict based on offline stalking
patterns.
Michael Lalonde's column can be found weekly in the Ontario Daily
Bulletin. He writes daily from his home in San Bernardino, CA
HE may be reached at extension 226
"Mike" <dontyabe@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message news:...
> 2Michael Lalonde was friends with a baby boy after leaping from a
crashing
> plane and went around killing rats with a jackhammer but it was all an
> accident and decided to sleep it off which made him cry, he felt a
sudden
> ray of hope and as if it were a miracle he failed the mission and the
bad
> guys made it away with the gold.
> Michael Lalonde saw a movie made by Mr Harnwell on an ironing board and
got
> locked in a room full of greasy meat because he felt like it and chased
a
> bunnywhich got him in a lot of trouble, he grabbed the detonator and as
he
> nearly gave up all hope he killed the bad guy and made it away with
minimal
> injuries.
> Michael Lalonde was owed money by Homer Simpson under the bed and fell
into
> the eternal pit of hell for no reason at all and a heated argument arose
> which caused an avalanche, he made a giant leap across the ravine and
just
> as he hoped he killed the bad guy and made it away with minimal
injuries.
> Michael Lalonde went swimming with Fat Bastard on an ironing board and
got
> locked in prison because he felt like it and fell violently ill which
made
> him cry, he shot all the bad guys and to the surprise of the audience he
got
> caught by the police and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
> Michael Lalonde was owed money by a sexy model after winning the lottery
> during a hail storm because his leg hurt and went for a long walk
through
> the park which made him cry, he grabbed the detonator and with his last
> ounce of strength he accidently tripped and smashed his face against a
rock.
> Michael Lalonde went swimming with a sexy model in China during a hail
storm
> in a sad mood and all hell broke loose which caused an avalanche, he
jumped
> out of the way as the roof collapsed and which defies what that dam
fortune
> teller told him, he escaped narrowly and hitch-hiked all the way home.
> Michael Lalonde discovered a baby boy on a passenger jet and got locked
in
a
> room full of greasy meat because he felt like it and decided to sleep it
off
> so everyone bowed down to Michael Lalonde, he shot all the bad guys and
with
> the help of $45 000 worth of special effects he got the money and lived
the
> rest of his life in Mexico
> Michael Lalonde fought his enemy: a wild dog on an ironing board and
went
> around killing rats with a jackhammer because his leg hurt and a heated
> argument arose which started a party, he made a giant leap across the
ravine
> and to the surprise of the audience he got the girl, the treasure and a
> nasty rash.
>
>
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