[citw150] CITW 150 Lesson 3 Question 6
- From: Todd Stott <stottt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Listserv <citw150@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 11:03:59 -0500 (EST)
As a parent of teenagers who spend a lot of time online, cyberstalking and
online harassment is a significant concern. Though some people might consider
online harassment less serious, cyberstalking is really an extension of the
physical form of stalking. Several sites provide details of real life stories
of the Internet being used to harass and intimidate others. The most disturbing
stories were those where cyberstalking crossed over into ?real-life? stalking.
Statistics on cyberstalking are difficult to find since many people may not
report online harassment. Organizations devoted to stopping online harassment,
such as WHOA, SafetyEd, and CyberAngels, estimate receiving over 20,000
reported cases each year. According to a 1999 US Department of Justice study
there may be as many as 475,000 online victims each year.
Having spent time online in chat rooms and message boards I have seen and
experienced online harassment first-hand. The anonymity of cyberspace may lead
some to be bolder than in real life and may feel they can type anything with
little fear of any repercussions. Some online communication deteriorates into
little more than a steady stream of insults and threats.
Many IRC and instant messaging systems allow users to ignore others and also
provide methods for reporting inappropriate online behavior. Other than staying
offline, there may be no way to avoid online harassment entirely; however, the
most important precaution to take is to protect your personal information.
Don?t fill out profiles for instant messaging or chat. Don?t give out your
personal information online. Don?t store personal information on your
computer?s hard drive or if you do, make sure you use software to prevent
hacking and to safeguard that information. The best advice I can give other
parents is to just be aware of what your child is doing online.
For more information on this topic see:
http://www.infotoday.com/lu/jul00/hitchcock.htm
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/ti166.pdf
Todd D. Stott
Other related posts:
