Cyber stalking
From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.
Cyber stalking or Cyberstalking is when someone is using the internet to stalk or harass someone. Cyber stalking is illegal in some countries.
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[edit] Stalking
Stalking is following someone around in a way that makes them feel hunted or not safe in some other way. It is not just one event but an ongoing process that threatens or makes that person feal scared. Someone who does this is called a stalker. The stalker may do this becasue they want to be invovled in that person's life or becasue they want to have power over that person's life. The stalker can hurt that person's feelings by making them scared. They may feel they do not have the power to stop the stalker. Psychologists say stalking is a way of hurting someone's mind with serious effects. [1] Sometimes a stalker may go on to hurt that person's body by assaulting, raping or murdering that person.
[edit] Cyber Stalking
Cyber stalking is when the stalker uses the internet to contact or follow that person. The stalker may make direct contact with that person, they may send nasty messages to that person or spread lies about them to others. Sometimes stalkers use the internet to learn more about the other person. They might find their address, phone number, workplace or photograph. Then they might use this information to do more stalking or find other ways to hurt that person on the internet or hurt their body.
Some cyber stalkers use web sites like http://www.four11.com/, http://www.switchboard.com/, and http://www.whowhere.com/ to follow people.
The person who is stalked on the internet may fell they have more power if they can simply deleate emails or turn their computer connection off. Or they may feel they have less power if they do not know who the stalker is.
[edit] Stalking in Books and Movies
Stalking is a common theme in scary books and movies and some show cyber stalking. Often it is an older man stalking a younger woman. Some examples are:
- The Executioners is a book by John D. MacDonald about a criminal stalking the whole family of a lawyer. This story has been made into a film two times called Cape Fear.
- Les Miserables is a book by Victor Hugo, about a police officer stalking a former criminal. This story has been made into several films and a musical.
- The Net is a film starring Sandra Bullock, about an man cyber stalking a woman.
- Fatal Attraction is a film starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, about a woman stalking a man who used to love her. This film changed the usual story of a man stalking a woman.
- Scream is a film by Wes Craven about two young men stalking and killing young women. This film also makes fun of some of the ways stalking is often shown in films.
