Study Demonstrates That Cyberstalking Is Highly Prevalent Among Social Network Users

Many people view the Internet through a positive lens because it seems to be unlocking new vehicles for accessing information and connecting with other people. However, on the other hand, a majority of people contend that it provides ways for people to pursue and harass other individuals without identification, which leads to the idea of cyberstalking. According to the study published in the Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking Journal, "the repeated pursuit of an individual using electronic or Internet-capable devices has been referred to as 'cyberstalking.'" Perhaps the online and social networking environment, with a lack of face-to-face interaction, invites these individuals to closely monitor other users. The study revealed that more than 40 percent of social networking users experience some form of online harassment at least once throughout their lifetime.

Cyberstalking's many forms differ in frequency, duration, and intensity 

Victims of cyberstalking have reported that their perpetrators utilized their social networking accounts to harass or pursue them in various ways. The stalkers oftentimes go out of their way solely to communicate with their targeted victim, to contact others in order to gain information regarding their victim or to defame them. 92.5 percent of the time, stalkers send a personal message to their victim and about 72.2 percent of the time, they communicate with others. Likewise, many of these stalkers publicize personal information and private or intimate videos and pictures against the victims' will. Through these publications, the perpetrators, 53.9 percent of the time, are damaging the victims' reputations and spreading falsehoods across a wide audience.

Furthermore, while cyberstalking may appear temporary, 32 percent of victims reported that the stalking continued for up to 1 month. Among the 32 percent of these harassed victims, 45.1 percent of the victims claim their perpetrators persisted for even up to a year and 22.8 percent were stalked for more than a year. Similarly, 27 percent of victims reported that they were harassed several times daily, 20.6 percent contacted once  per day, 30.1 percent on numerous times throughout the week, 10.8 percent numerous times a month and 11.5 percent only reported occasional harassment from their stalkers.

Cyberstalkers may not be strangers to their victims, exacerbating their underlying motivations

Interestingly, the powerpoint above illustrates that a majority of the time, the victims of cyberstalking know of their perpetrator and therefore can identify their motivations for harassment. The stalkers were reported to be either an ex-romantic partner, a friend or someone within the victim's school. Among the most common form of cyberstalking was ex-partner stalking, where an individual stalks their former romantic partner. About 35 percent  of the cases reported in this study involved ex-partner stalking, while only 28.5 percent of the cases involved friends or acquaintances. For those victims that knew of their stalker, they were able to potentially identify the reasons for the cyberstalking. Some reported that the stalking occurred as a result of a possible rejection (61.9 percent) or out of jealously (54.9 percent). Additionally, some victims believed that their perpetrators wanted to start a romantic relationship (49.4 percent) or initiate a friendship (23.3 percent) with them. Paradoxically, 30.1 percent of the time, victims were unaware of the identity of their stalker, leading to unanswered questions about the motivations of the stalking.

The psychosomatic and psychological effects of cyberstalking can significantly impact the victim 

Among those involved in cyberstalking cases, 97.5 percent of these victims reported suffering from psychosomatic and psychological problems as a result of their stalking. As shown in the powerpoint above, many experienced feelings of helplessness, which caused sleep disturbances. They believed there was absolutely nothing they could do to prevent the stalking, therefore they lay awake at night, scared of their stalker's capabilities. Similarly, victims checked themselves into counseling or therapy sessions to relieve their anger, aggression and fear of their stalker and to regain lost trust in their friends and family. The negative effects of cyberstalking take a mental, physical and emotional toll on the victims and their families.

The results of the study revealed that cyberstalking characteristics parallel the elements of offline stalking

As the Internet continues to evolve, cyberstalking is becoming more and more prevalent at 6.3%, which is almost identical to the prevalence rate of offline stalking. The perpetrators behavior in cyberstalking, much like offline stalking, evokes reasonable fear in the victim, regardless of age or gender. Nonetheless, the study reported that in both types of stalking more women (80.5%) become the victim of cyberstalking, while men are predominantly classified as the perpetrators. Moreover, the comparable nature of these two forms of stalking reveal that most victims are acquainted with their stalkers and therefore understand their motives. Although victims may know of their perpetrators, they still experience the negative consequences as a result of either form of stalking. Overall, this study concluded that cyberstalking is a growing problem, accompanied by detrimental impacts on the victim and should be taken as seriously as offline stalking.