Have you ever been harrassed or stalked on the internet? What did you do and what was the outcome?
If You’re a Victim…
Don’t respond directly to offenders. “If you reply to them,” says Parry Aftab, executive director of Cyberangels, an Internet safety organization, “you give them the attention they want.”
Instead, you should:
Reach out to a help group. Cyberangels, for example, has a team that can help you put an end to the cyberstalking — and find and prosecute stalkers.
Notify local police. “This is especially important if you think you may be in physical danger,” warns Detective Mike Sullivan of the Naperville County Police Department. “Although not all law enforcement agencies are fully equipped to handle these cases,” he adds, “they can direct you to resources that are.”
Contact the offender’s Internet service provider. Almost all ISPs have terms of service that don’t allow the transmission of content that is harassing. But, advises Aftab, “If the ISP terminates a stalker’s account, then you may find yourself dealing with an angry stalker who’s merely using a different service provider to harass you. So it may be best to reach out for other help.”
Take online threats seriously. “As serious as you would any kind of threat in the offline world,” says Nicholas Graham, spokesperson for America Online. “These cases tend to escalate — not go away,” adds Detective Sullivan, “especially when dealing with a child’s safety.”
Keep tangible evidence. Even though online harassment may leave an electronic trail, you should save and print offending messages as proof.
Get Internet savvy. You are less likely to be a target of cyberstalking if you’re an experienced Internet user.
Safeguard your personal data — both on and off the Web. “With just a little information about you,” says Detective Sullivan, “an experienced stalker can easily take his threats from the Web to the offline world.”
Victims CyberCrimes
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