Stalking is a problem thathas been receiving more attention in the last ten years. The definition of stalking has been changing under the influence of the media or through personal acknowledged of victims who face the harassment of a stalker , is described as the behaviour of those who pursue, two or more times, a specific person (Pathe. 2002). One of the significant aspects of this problem is that the obsession of the stalker can lead to violence, serious injuries, or even fatalities.Two of the mostnoteworthy cases are Mark David Chapman theassassin of John Lennon or John Warnock Hincley, who almost succeeded in assassinating the US President Ronald Reagan in his obsession to gain the attention of Jodie Foster.
A stalker can contact the victim in different ways: phone calls, email, text message, letters and cards, or the internet.This essay discusses
...the use of the internet to pursue a person, causing fear, distress or alarm on the victims – Cyber stalking – a behaviour particularly problematic since the perpetrator has access to information postedfor the persons in social networks, also is a conduct potentially physically dangerous if the perpetrator continues his chase offline (Pathe, 2002). In response to such attacks different government proceededto take actions establishing laws in their attempt to address and penalize this conduct, such as America establishing the first stalking legislation in 1990 or in England and Wales reating a new legislation called “Protection from Harassment” in 1997,and the inclusion of a new law called “Malicious Communication” in 1998 (Maple et al,2011). The presence of these is a development that represents a refuge for the victims and the persons who have felt
the harassment, thoughthere are some flaws that have to be improved.
In some cases the police department do not consider these problemsrelevant.For example in the year 2003 although stalking cases in the UK were the most likely to be reported under the law of “Protection from Harassment”, only one in three of the cases the police investigated the cases (Walby and Allen,2004). Inthe UKbetween the years 2011-2012 inorder to improve the legislation “Protection from Harassment” (act. 1997) the Home Office conducted a study with a sample represented by police, government departments, and experts, and was carry out a campaign to collect evidence from victims.The main results of this project were the inclusion of a new legislation of stalking as a specific offence,encourage the police to be more involved,and widening police search powers (Home Office, 2012). The numbers of cases for cyber stalking reported to the police have been increasing in the last ten years, yet the percentage of victims who donot report the problems to the police is significant, estimated to be 30%.
The reasons expressed by the victims are varied, ranging from saying that it would cause more troubles to saying that it would not make any difference(Walby and Allen, 2004). The latter result shows complicity with the project performed by the Home Office in 2012. Three of the most significant answers showed on this reportare; 78% of the people said that the current legislation is insufficient, dealing with the stalkers, 76% consider that the number of perpetrators being judged have to increase, and 85% contemplate theneed to an effective protection for the victims. Discover examples
of expressed powersWith the inclusion of the new legislation the Home office guarantees an appropriate addresses of the cases, and a quickly prosecutions giving to the victims an efficient protection.
The dearth of knowledge from the victims related to the specifics laws and support centres is related to the percentage of victims that received not support at all when they have been cyber stalking, estimated to be 61%, though 30% of them communicate their problem with family and friend (Maple et al, 2011).Although Cyber stalking is a recently problem that has been growing up in the last decade, there are numerous ways to seek assistance. There have been significant improvements in the way that public services address Cyber Stalking, one of those improvements is the innovation on supporting centres for the victims, where they can seek for assistance, not only regarding the laws or how to proceed, but they raise the awareness of the subject and educate the victims about stalking and harassment with professionals.There are many support centres were the victims can seek for assistance for example; National Cyber stalking Centre, National Centre for Cyber stalking research (NCCR), Network for surviving stalkers.
The aim of these centres is to support the victims not only during the stage of stalking, but help the victims to deal the effects of been cyber stalked. A study piloted by the NCCR between 2010 and2011, with 360 participants, show that 69% of the individuals that had experience cyber stalking show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder(Maple et al, 2011) .Social Centres of support plays a central role helping the victims to overcome the trauma cause by the harassment, yet is
fundamental the compromised of the victims (Pathe. 2002) It may be tempting to dismiss cyber stalking because the way it can carried out, the cyber stalker can chase their victims from her house, thus not have to venture into the real world and have physical contact with the victims. However, the trauma created on their victims, the psychological effects, the fear, the anxiety is real.Cyber stalking is a recently problem that has been increasing; therefore most of the people do not have the knowledge to face it.
Two of the most noteworthyfacts showed in the surveys is how frustrated are the victims with the deficiency of help and support they feel is available, and the lack of attention showed for the police and how they manage to assist on the cases. These are two factors that have been improving besides the blooming of the cyber stalking.First, the government is committed to improve the existing laws in order to address cyber stalking in a competently way, giving to the victims a refuge where they can feel save from his or her perpetrator, in that way the government implement a new legislation that guarantees an appropriate address of the cases. Second, the innovation of supporting centres for the victims, where they can find help and assistance.
The effective the police and the support centres face the cyber stalking, the easier it will be for the victims to confront and tackle the Cyber Stalking.
- Feminism essays
- Animal Rights essays
- Animal Testing essays
- Bullying essays
- Abortion essays
- Abuse essays
- Immigration essays
- Poverty essays
- Human Rights essays
- Inequality essays
- Violence essays
- Torture essays
- Crash essays
- Assault essays
- Racism essays
- Prejudice essays
- Controversial Issue essays
- Cyber Bullying essays
- Women's Suffrage essays
- Women'S Rights essays
- Women Empowerment essays
- Sojourner Truth essays
- Bullying In Schools essays
- Pro Choice essays
- Pro Life essays
- Should Abortion Be Legal essays
- Against abortion essays
- Abortion Debate essays
- Abuse Support essays
- Child Abuse essays
- Alcohol Abuse essays
- Physical Abuse essays
- Sexual Abuse essays
- Substance Abuse essays
- Migration essays
- Human Migration essays
- Illegal Immigration essays
- Immigrants essays
- Refugee essays
- Overpopulation essays
- Homelessness essays
- Hunger essays
- Dumpster Diving essays
- Homelessness In America essays
- Euthanasia essays
- Assisted Suicide essays
- Censorship essays
- Gun Control essays
- Empowerment essays
- Civil Rights essays