The Evolution of Cyberstalking

Wanda Alexander
ISSC630 Advanced Cybercrime Analysis
Dr. Karen Paullet, Instructor
August 4, 2014

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Abstract

Cyberstalking has become the latest form of computer related crime activity occurring in
recent decades. Cyberstalking can occur when a person is followed and pursued on the internet.
The perpetrator invades their privacy and watches their movement. It is another form of
harassment which can disrupt the life of the innocent victim and leave them feeling, afraid,
threatened and violated. Cyberstalking victims are usually women who are stalked by men or
children who are stalked by pedophiles or adult predators. Cyberstalkers dont have to leave their
domain to find, or harass their victims and never do they have the fear of physical evidence being
left behind because they feel that they physically cant be discovered in cyberspace. The
perpetrator can live in any part of the world, be a neighbor, a friend of a friend or a relative.
Their main targets are always mostly females and children who are emotionally weak or unstable
and new to the internet and inexperienced with internet safety (Easttom & Taylor, 2011).

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Introduction

The rise of the internet has changed the way people get information and share it with each
other. It has affected everything from a persons social media relationships to the way in which
they work, learn and take care of others. With personal computers in the home and mobile
technology use of cell phones and tablets, people have instant access to a vast amount of
information and social media forums which put them in contact with people from all over the
world in a relatively anonymous environment (Easttom & Taylor, 2011).
Out of the use of the internet, cyberstalking evolved. Cyberstalking has created new
challenges for law enforcement agencies in the detection, prevention and the prosecution of
stalkers in the internet world and the traditional methods that these agencies used in the past for
the detection and enforcement of the perpetrators are in some cases inadequate (Easttom &
Taylor, 2011). In this paper I will discuss cyberstalking, its typology, the characteristics of the
victims and the perpetuators themselves.

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Research Questions
Cyberstalking takes place by using the internet and any other form of electronic device to
stalk someone which may be a computer crime and harassment. The term cyberstalking is used
interchangeably with online harassment and online abuse. A cyberstalker usually does not pose a
direct physical threat to its victim, but what they do is follow the victims online activity to get
information on them and then make threats and us verbal intimidation when stalking them.
Because the internet brings about anonymity, online interactions the cyberstalker is comfortable
in the reduction of being easily identified which makes cyberstalking more common today than
physical stalking. Cyberstalking may seem harmless to some people but it can cause the victim
psychological and emotional harm and in some cases it leads to physical stalking (Mullen, 2009).
With the growth of the internet, social media evolved and sites like Facebook, Myspace
and Twitter has allowed more focus to be placed on the average person than it has never been
before. Unwanted attention from unwanted people also evolved and these unwanted people used
online media tricks and trades to benefit themselves as they prey on innocent people.
Cyberstalkers also use other various websites, chatrooms, discussion forums and email to target
and harass their victims. Because it is so easy to get a free email address and also to create your
own website and be anonymous, having an account on a social media website, a chatroom or a
forum has contributed to the increase of cyberstalking as a method of harassment. Also being
able to perform a google search on someones name, alias or email address has also contributed
to cyberstalking (Reyns, 2012).
There exist many similarities and also differences between online stalking and offline
stalking. Cyberstalkers usually prey upon total strangers and stalking victims usually know who
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their predator is and have had some prior personal contact with the predator in the past. The
evidence has shown that offline stalkers are usually men and that most of their victims are
women. Offline and cyberstalkers main objective is to control and dominate its victim (Mullen,
2009).
Offline stalking victims are normally in the vicinity of the stalker. This is not such the
case for cyberstalkers. Through the use of computer and mobile technology and the use of such
sites as Facebook, cyberstalkers have the potential to prey upon victims who live hundreds of
thousands of miles away. Because of the increase in a predators accessibility methods, he can
easily gain access to third parties and use them to harass victims. Cyberstalkers on the other hand
usually dont identify their true identity to harass their victims. They do not have to physically
confront the victim to stalk them (Mullen, 2009).
The typology of cyberstalking consists of three primary methods in which cyberstalking
is conducted: Email stalking - direct communication with the victim through email, Internet
stalking Global communication through internet websites especially social media, and
Computer Stalking unauthorized access and control of another persons computer or mobile
device (Petherick, 2014).
Unsolicited email has become the most common form of harassment which includes hate,
threatening and obscene email. Additional forms of harassment include sending the victim a
virus or high volumes of electronic junk mail. Sending viruses or receiving telemarketing
solicitations by itself does not constitute stalking but if these communications are sent in a
repetitious manner designed to intimidate the victim then this may be constituted as concerning
behaviors and is categorized as stalking (Petherick, 2014).
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Stalking by email pattern represents the closest replication of the traditional stalker. The
common forms of stalking has been by telephone and sending email so now that stalkers are
using email regularly is not to ones surprise. Sending email allows a person to contact someone
immediately as in a phone call but it can be argued that email stalking is less invasive than phone
calls because the victim can always delete the email without even opening it. Email stalking is an
attempt to initiate a relationship, repair a relationship or traumatize and threaten a person. As
with telephone stalking, email stalking consists of uninvited and a threatening intrusion into the
victims private space (Petherick, 2014).
Email stalking can be compared to traditional stalking in some cases, but stalkers use the
internet as well to harass and threaten their victims. Social media has a wide open nature and
many stalkers can pose themselves as friends and add another unsuspecting user to carry out
their stalking. When compared to regular stalking, using the internet to stalk victims is much
craftier for predators because they can hide behind pictures and use the application to carry out
their deeds. Cyberstalking can turn into offline stalking which can lead to threatening phone calls
and emails, vandalism of property and physical attacks (Petherick, 2014).
There are important differences between the stalker being within a short range of their
victim as viewed by one who is in cyberspace and could be hundreds of miles away.
Cyberstalking remains at a level which induces emotional distress, fear and apprehension to its
victims. Emotional distress, is acknowledged in criminal sanctions but it is not considered to be
a serious as being physically threatened. As long as the stalking takes place in the cyber world
and not into the real world, the victim has the option to protect themselves from being exposed to
the stalker by avoiding certain parts of the internet that is used by the predator (Mullen, 2001).
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A cyberstalker with hacking capabilities can communicate directly with its victim as soon
as the victims computer connects to the internet. Victims are unaware of the fact that Windows
based computers connected to the internet can be identified and connected to by another
computer on the internet. The stalker can then take control of the victims computer and the
victims only option is to disconnect from the internet and release their current IP address and
have their ISP DHCP server issue a new one (Brown, 2010).
There are several types of cyberstalkers in the world today. The following is a list of
them:
Rejected Stalker this predator has had an intimate relationship with the victim
and is not happy that the relationship has ended. Their behavior is that of a
mixture between revenge and hopes for reconciliation.
Intimacy Seeker this predator attempts to start a relationship with a victim that
engaged them in their desires and the predator thinks the victim wants him.
Incompetent Suitor this predator attempts to develop a relationship with its
victim but fails because that are intellectually or social incompetent.
Resentful Stalker this predator harasses their victim with the intent to cause fear
and apprehension out of the desire of revenge for some previous injury or
humiliation.
Predatory Stalker this predator stalks its victim to get information or is in the
process of rehearsing for a sexual attack.
Delusional Stalker this predator has a history of mental illness which can include
either manic depression or schizophrenia.
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Erotomaniac - this predator is mentally ill and delusional and he believes that he
is in love with his victim and has created an entire relationship in is head.
Harass Stalker - this predator likes to be the center of attention and may have an
attention seeking personality disorder.
Love Rats this type of predator searches the internet with the intention of
starting relationships and may have several relationships at a time.
Troll this predators purpose is to give him more credibility than he deserves
and he draws his victims into pointless and emotionally draining discussions
(Brown, 2010).
The internet has become a giant mecca where friends and family come to communicate
and stay in touch with one another which has opened up many more victims to be stalked. A
stalker is not going to select a victim that has the same mindset as him. He targets victims that
are not internet savvy, females, children and those that are emotionally unstable. Stalkers can tell
when someone is new to the internet on social media sites and chatrooms by the language they
use and their profile information (Sheridan, n.d).
The characteristics of the victims of cyberstalking are as follows:
Male or female persons from the ages of 18 to 32 with females dominating as the
victim.
Involved in a real sexual or imagined romantic relationship.
A member of a minority or special group ethnic, racial, religious minorities,
gays and lesbians, etc (Sheridan, n.d).
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Victims of cyberstalking that are under the age of 18 should tell their parents or any other
adult that they are comfortable with about any harassment or threats that they are receiving
online. When the victim knows who the stalker is they should provide them with a clear written
warning that their contact is unwanted and that they must stop communicating with them. The
victim should have copies of the dialogue in both electronic and paper copy so that if the
harassment continues the victim can contact the police and the stalkers internet provider. The
victim needs to save all email, postings and any other form of communication that was made by
the stalker to them. Victims should consider changing their email address, phone number, and
ISP if need be and use privacy protection programs and encryption software to further protect
themselves. Victims should also take advantage of the filtering option of email applications to
block unwanted email addresses. Under no circumstances should a victim agree to me with a
perpetrator face to face for their own protection (Bocij, 2004).
The first state to make stalking a crime was California back in 1990. Rebecca Schaeffer
was an actress and was murdered in her home in July 1989 by a crazed fan Robert John Barbo,
who stalked her for 3 years. Barbo hired a detective and paid him to find Rebecca Schaeffers
address. The detective was able to obtain her address from the California Department of Motor
Vehicles. California passed the first anti-stalking bill due to the outcry of Rebecca Schaeffers
murder, which allows for criminal prosecution and civil damages if the predator is sued. The
State of California defines a stalker as someone who willfully, maliciously and repeatedly
follows or harasses another and makes credible threats with the intent to place the victim or their
family in fear of their safety. Today all the states in the US and the District of Columbia has laws
in place regarding anti-stalking (Medlin, 2002).
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Robert James Murphy of Columbia, South Carolina is considered by some to be the first
person charged with cyberstalking by violating Title 47 of the US Code which prohibits the use
of telecommunications devices to annoy, threaten, harass and abuse any person. Murphy was
indicted in April 2004 for sending harassing emails to Joelle Ligon, a former girlfriend, and other
employees of the City of Seattle. Murphy began sending sexually explicit and obscene email
messages and photos to Ligon and some of her coworkers back in 1998. He tracked her from his
computer and followed her every move. Ligon began saving the data and went to the FBI to get
them involved (Fisher, 2004).




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Literature Review
In the book, Computer Crime, Investigation, and the Law the authors take a look at how
cyberstalking laws differ from state to state. In the book, Anti-Social Network : Cyberstalking
Victimization among College Students the author takes a look at the problem of cyberstalking. In
the book, Stalkers and Their Victims, the authors discuss stalking and the different types and
how it is being performed at various different levels. In Dr. Lorraine Sheridans article, she
addresses stalking from a bullying perspective. In Amanda N. Medlins article, she discussed the
first case of stalking which took place in California in 1990. In Jodee Browns article, the author
discusses how the internet gave birth to additional unwanted attention by predators. In Wayne
Pethericks article, he discusses how the personal computer coupled with the internet gave life to
cyberstalking. In Paul Bocis book, he discusses how families can protect themselves and their
children from predators on the internet. In Paul Mullens article, he and his colleagues discuss
how stalkers are treated from a medical perspective. In Ken Fishers article, he discuss the first
person ever convicted of cyberstalking.

Methodology
This paper will be written utilizing case studies and key lessons learned which are
addressed in various books, articles and other resources such a web-based articles. Several case
files will be used to touch upon the evolution of cyberstalking and how to combat it.

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Conclusion

Cyberstalking cases will continue to exist as the internet grows and more social
networking sites become available. It is estimated that over a million women and 370,000 men
annually are impacted by stalking. The internet is integrated into almost every part of our life and
simply turning off our computers and mobile devices will not solve this dilemma. People using
the internet must learn how to protect themselves from the dangers of crimes that take place in
cyberspace. Men, women and children are all potential targets for predators searching the
internet. Law enforcement agencies have come to realize that cyberstalking is a public problem
that warrants their attention. The outcome of someone who has been stalked can result in
psychological, behavior and social problems. Victims risk the loss of personal safety, the
inability to sleep, the potential loss of their job, and changes in the work and social habits
(Petherick, 2014).

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References
Easttom, C., & Taylor, F. (2011), Computer Crime, Investigation, and the Law, Cengage
Technology, Boston, MA
Reyns, Bradford W. (2012), Anti-Social Network : Cyberstalking Victimization among College
Students, LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC
Mullen, Paul ., Path, Michele Purcell, Rosemary , Stalkers and Their ictims,
Cambridge : Cambridge University Press
Dr. Lorraine Sheridan (n.d), Issues related to bullying, Retrieved August 2, 2014,
http://www.bullyonline.org/related/stalking.htm
Amanda N. Medlin (2002), Stalking to Cyberstalking, a Problem Caused by the Internet,
Retrieved August 2, 2014, http://ul451.gsu.edu/lawand/papers/fa02/medlin/
Jodee Brown (2010), Cyber Stalking: How Internets evolution promoted unwanted attention,
August 2, 2014, http://www.examiner.com/article/cyber-stalking-how-internet-s-evolution-
promoted-unwanted-attention
Wayne Petherick (2014), CYBER-STALKING: OBSESSIONAL PURSUIT AND THE
DIGITAL CRIMINAL, August 2, 2014,
http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/psychology/cyberstalking/1.html
Paul Bocij, (2004), Cyberstalking : Harassment in the Internet Age and How to Protect Your
Family. Praeger Publishers
Paul Mullen (2001), The management of stalkers, Retrieved August 2, 2014,
http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/7/5/335.full
Ken Fisher (2004), First US cyberstalking case taking shape, Retrieved August 2, 2014,
http://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2004/04/3694-2/





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