Stalking as a crime has existed throughout history and the characteristics of a stalker are not very different from a cyberstalker. The problem lies in the fact that while stalkers have to be in the immediate vicinity of the victim, cyberstalkers can operate from as far away as another country. The Internet has not only provided typical stalkers with a much larger base of victims but, as with other cybercrimes, made it much harder for the law to catch them.
The real world is mirrored by the Internet. That means it also reflects real life and real people with real problems which the stalker can exploit.
Typically, the cyberstalker's victim is a new user of the Net and inexperienced to the rules of netiquette and Internet safety. The main targets are those who are emotionally weak or unstable, etc. This explains why women and children are more likely to be at risk. It has been estimated that over 75% of the victims are female, though, strangely enough, men may also be stalked.
Stalkers also observe the behaviour of those who chat frequently in chat rooms and become interested in those who show little or no inhibitions and like to reveal personal information. Attention-grabbing teenagers hence are at higher risk. These are the general characteristics of the cyberstalking victim but there are many factors involved.
Cyberstalkers could be anyone and could operate from anywhere.
The first thing to take note of is that cyberstalkers could be anyone and operating anywhere. They may be on the other side of the earth, a neighbour or even a relative! Moreover, stalkers could be of either sex. It is impossible to differentiate them from others by observing physical characteristics alone as cyberstalkers can come from all backgrounds and lifestyles. What all stalkers do have in common, however, are certain psychological traits.
Cyber stalkers can be broadly categorized into three types. (Sometimes these categories overlap).
The obsessional cyberstalker
This is the most common type of cyberstalker and he or she usually has had a prior relationship with the victim. The stalker cannot come to terms with the fact that their relationship is over. He or she then takes a lot of trouble to coerce the victim into re-entering the relationship or has his or her revenge on the victim by inducing fear and making his or her life miserable. One should not be misled by believing that this stalker is harmlessly in love and incapable of causing real harm.
The delusional cyberstalker
This type of stalker is usually unrelated to the intended victim. Most of the time, contact is achieved through the Internet. These stalkers suffer from mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder etc. This is why, sometimes, they are severely deluded into believing that their victim is in love with them even though they may have never met. These false beliefs keep them tied to their victims. This particular condition is also known as erotomania. A delusional stalker is usually a social outcast because of his or her mental illness and this makes him or her all the more desperate for companionship. Victims usually tend to be married and from high profile professions such as celebrities, doctors, teachers, etc. The most common type of stalker from this group is the type which pursues a celebrity and this syndrome is better known as the "obsessed fan syndrome". Delusional stalkers are very difficult to shake off.
The vengeful cyber stalker
These cyber stalkers are typically disgruntled employees and ex-spouses who are resentful towards their victim due to some reason or the other. The motive for them is the feeling that they were the ones who have been victimized first and that they are merely teaching their victims a lesson. His or her actions are similar to that of the obsessional stalker but they differ in motive. He or she is usually hell-bent on inducing fear in his or her victims by blackmailing or threatening them after taking over their computers.
What motivates a Cyberstalker?
The following are general motivations for any cyberstalker. The more fearful cyberstalkers tend to have more than one motive.
Anonymity of the Net
As mentioned before, the very nature of anonymous communications through the Internet makes it much easier to be a cyberstalker than a stalker in the real world.
Obsession for love
It is often the case that when relationships that begin online or in real life are halted abruptly by one person, the rejected lover cannot accept the end of the relationship. This leads to the rejected one pursuing his or her ex-lover online as well as offline. One major problem related to obsessional stalking is that since it often starts off as real romance and intimacy, much personal information is shared between both persons involved. This makes it all the easier for the cyberstalker to harass his or her victim by using personal information against him or her or publicizing them. Obsessions may also start as pastimes or for psychological reasons. These stalkers live in their own fantasy realms, so it is usually unnecessary for the victim to have done anything to attract his or her attention in the first place. Obsessional stalkers are usually jealous, possessive and manipulative people.
Revenge & Hate
It may start of as a mere argument blown out of proportion, leading eventually to a relationship based on intense hatred and a need for revenge. The criminal behaviour may also be triggered off as a result of a rude comment posted online. The offending party may regret his or her action immediately but the offended party is not that easy to shake off. Sometimes, hate-centred cyberstalking is triggered off for no reason at all. This is another indication of the psychological instability of cyberstalkers. Death threats and vulgar messages via email or through live chat messages are a common manifestation of this type of stalking.
Ego-centrism
Some stalkers are least interested in the damage they do to or how close they get to their victims. They are only interested in the process of gaining control over their victims just to prove to themselves or their friends that they can. They do not have any grudge against their victims but are simply using them as a means to exhibit their power and control to their friends or doing it just for the challenge. The unlucky victim is usually chosen at random. Apart from the fact that they are highly manipulative and risk-taking, these stalkers do not suffer from any mental illness. Most people who receive threats online are fooled into believing that their harasser is more than capable of carrying out their threats. In fact, more often than not, this type of stalker is a child or teenager who cannot possibly have the means of carrying out the threats made.
Cyberstalking undermines the reputation and credibility of the Internet as a platform of information and for communication.
Being stalked can be an extremely fearful experience, especially for children and young adults. Receiving messages filled with hatred or obsessive desire from someone whose face they have never seen before can be extremely terrifying. This is even more so if they start thinking that they themselves had done something wrong to deserve such treatment. Adults may be harder to frighten but this does not put them at a lower risk level. The knowledge that one is being continually pursued for whatever reason in the real or in the cyberworld is not something one handle if he or she keeps his or her fear inside. A new user of the Net may be so traumatized by such an experience that he or she may be too frightened to use the Net ever again. The worst thing that could happen is that the victim is convinced by the stalker to meet him or her in the real world and is then raped or assaulted in a secluded area. Such incidents severely undermine the reputation and credibility of the Internet as a worldwide platform of information and for communication.
Law and order systems across the globe are only now beginning to recognize stalking as a social problem which urgently needs to be addressed. The effects of stalking upon an individual may be profound. Other than a loss of personal safety, the loss of a job and sleeplessness, there is a change in work and social habits. These effects are, in the long run, capable of producing a severe drain on the criminal justice system as well as the health care system. This clearly illustrates why it is in the best interests of the authorities themselves to take swift action as and when new cases are presented to them.
Stalking as a manifestation of criminal behaviour is not new but it will still take time for its cyber counterpart to be fully recognized in legal and academic circles. Only through the continued investigation into new stalking cases and updating of existing statutes can this be possible.
Reference
National Center for Victims of Cyberstalking
http://www.ncvc.org/special/cyber_stk.htm
Stalking, dealing with cyberstalkers and online predators
http://www.spiesonline.net/cyberstalkers.shtml
Catching cyberstalkers, protecting children form predatorship
http://www.kdka.com/local/local_story_315155725.html
Support groups against cyberstalkers
http://www.talkaboutsupport.com/group/alt.support.tourette/messages/119862.html
CYBER CRIME IN INDIA : CYBER STALKING - Online harassment.
http://www.indianchild.com/cyberstalking.htm