Online Harassment and Digital Stalking

Cyberstalking is generally considered to be harassment that originates online; however it is also recognised that other forms of pre-existing stalking can transfer into online environments. Cellular phones are now owned by the vast majority of adults (91% in 2010/2011) in the United Kingdom. It is believed that this number will approach, and probably reach, 95% within the near future. The World Wide Web and Internet are great places to study, work or even play, but there is an unpleasant side to cyberspace. Cyberspace reflects the real world and some people tend not to remember that. Cyberstalking and harassment affect a large number of people (especially women). It should not be assumed that just because an individual owns the technology and has an Internet account that person is ethical. There are just as many stalkers in cyberspace as anywhere else; it is just that their methods have changed. In some cases, this harassment may become an organised operation, where stalkers attack with intimidating messages of hate and indecencies. In this paper we study the different aspects of the technologies used in stalking and some methodologies to reduce the impact in relation to our own safety and security.