What is Cyberstalking and Gang Stalking?

[Vmedvil]

This is a informational piece about what these two social interactions are on the internet.

Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, group, or organization.^[1][2] It may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel. It may also include monitoring, identity theft, threats, vandalism, solicitation for sex, doxing, or blackmail.^[1]

Cyberstalking is often accompanied by realtime or offline stalking.^[3] In many jurisdictions, such as California, both are criminal offenses.^[4] Both are motivated by a desire to control, intimidate or influence a victim.^[5] A stalker may be an online stranger or a person whom the target knows. They may be anonymous and solicit involvement of other people online who do not even know the target.^[6]

Cyberstalking is a criminal offense under various state anti-stalking, slander and harassment laws. A conviction can result in a restraining order, probation, or criminal penalties against the assailant, including jail.

There have been a number of attempts by experts and legislators to define cyberstalking. It is generally understood to be the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group, or an organization.^[1] Cyberstalking is a form of cyberbullying; the terms are often used interchangeably in the media. Both may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel.^[3] Cyberstalking may also include monitoring, identity theft, threats, vandalism, solicitation for sex, or gathering information that may be used to threaten or harass. Cyberstalking is often accompanied by real-time or offline stalking.^[3] Both forms of stalking may be criminal offenses.^[4]

Stalking is a continuous process, consisting of a series of actions, each of which may be entirely legal in itself. Technology ethics professor Lambèr Royakkers defines cyberstalking as perpetrated by someone without a current relationship with the victim. About the abusive effects of cyberstalking, he writes that:

[Stalking] is a form of mental assault, in which the perpetrator repeatedly, unwantedly, and disruptively breaks into the life-world of the victim, with whom he has no relationship (or no longer has), with motives that are directly or indirectly traceable to the affective sphere. Moreover, the separated acts that make up the intrusion cannot by themselves cause the mental abuse, but do taken together (cumulative effect).

Gang Stalking

Gang stalking or group-stalking is a set of persecutory beliefs in which those affected believe they are being followed, stalked, and harassed by a large number of people.^[1] The term is associated with the targeted individual (T.I.) virtual community formed by like-minded individuals who claim their lives are disrupted from being stalked by organized groups intent on causing them harm.^[2][3]

The concept of stalking arose in the 1980s following increased legal equity for women and prosecution of domestic violence. Generally, stalking has a single perpetrator, who may sometimes recruit others to act vicariously on their behalf, usually unwittingly. Beginning in the early 2000s, the term gang stalking became popularized to describe a different experience of repeated harassment which instead comes from multiple people who organize around a shared purpose, with no one person solely responsible.^[4]

A 2016 article in The New York Times estimated that more than 10,000 people were participating in online communities "organized around the conviction that its members are victims of a sprawling conspiracy to harass thousands of everyday Americans with mind-control weapons and armies of so-called gang stalkers".^[2] The article identified a 2015 paper by Sheridan and James entitled "Complaints of group stalking ('gang stalking'): an exploratory study of their nature and impact on complainants" as the only scientific study of the topic at the time.^[5][2]

 

Those who believe they are victims report that they believe the motivation for the gang stalking is to disrupt every part of their lives.^[2] The activities involved are described as including electronic harassment, the use of "psychotronic weapons", directed-energy weapons, cyberstalking, hypnotic suggestion transmitted through remotely-accessed electronic devices, and other alleged mind control techniques. These have been reported by external observers as being examples of belief systems as opposed to reports of objective phenomena.^[9] Among the community of targeted individuals, gang stalking is described as a shared experience where the gang stalkers all coordinate to harass individuals, and the individuals share their victim experiences with each other.^[10][11][12]

 

 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Vmedvil

[ReinaSexton]

I never knew that cyberstalking was such a complex problem.

[Vmedvil]

On 4/4/2023 at 7:00 AM, ReinaSexton said:

I never knew that cyberstalking was such a complex problem.

It most definately is, attempting to prove someone is doing a malicious act to you often is, hints why there is a college major for criminology.

Edited April 5, 2023 by Vmedvil

[Moontanman]

On 4/5/2023 at 4:29 PM, Vmedvil said:

It most definitely is, attempting to prove someone is doing a malicious act to you often is, hints why there is a college major for criminology.

I am currently being cyberstalked by an ******* who seems to delight in being a bigoted, misogynist, fascist, asswipe, I have him blocked on as many platforms as I can at the moment, so far he is just annoying but his determination to use any platform I am on to promote his twisted world view is annoying to say the least.   

[Vmedvil]

3 hours ago, Moontanman said:

I am currently being cyberstalked by an ******* who seems to delight in being a bigoted, misogynist, fascist, asswipe, I have him blocked on as many platforms as I can at the moment, so far he is just annoying but his determination to use any platform I am on to promote his twisted world view is annoying to say the least.   

That is not good, who is cyberstalking you because cyberstalking is a crime and there are things that can be done about it if someone is victimizing you.

[abdulhadjar]

It's crucial to raise awareness about these issues and educate ourselves on how to recognize and address them. If anyone has experienced cyberstalking or gang stalking, it's essential to take immediate steps to protect oneself and seek appropriate support. Documenting the incidents, preserving evidence, and reporting them to the relevant authorities can be vital in combating these forms of harassment.

Additionally, understanding how to stop blackmail is crucial in dealing with such situations. It's important to remember that succumbing to blackmail can perpetuate the cycle of harassment. Instead, consider reaching out to trusted friends, family, or professionals for guidance and support. Taking legal action and involving law enforcement may also be necessary to put an end to the blackmail and ensure your safety.

Edited May 29, 2023 by abdulhadjar

[Vmedvil]

On 5/26/2023 at 1:14 AM, abdulhadjar said:

It's crucial to raise awareness about these issues and educate ourselves on how to recognize and address them. If anyone has experienced cyberstalking or gang stalking, it's essential to take immediate steps to protect oneself and seek appropriate support. Documenting the incidents, preserving evidence, and reporting them to the relevant authorities can be vital in combating these forms of harassment.

Additionally, understanding how to stop blackmail is crucial in dealing with such situations. It's important to remember that succumbing to blackmail can perpetuate the cycle of harassment. Instead, consider reaching out to trusted friends, family, or professionals for guidance and support. Taking legal action and involving law enforcement may also be necessary to put an end to the blackmail and ensure your safety.

I tend to agree, if you have evidence of criminal acts are being done to you, you need to keep the evidence of the criminal acts to give it to law enforcement. This is absolutely vital in combating the criminal acts being done to you and that's for any crime not just cyber stalking or gang stalking. Secondly, a knowledge of what different crimes are in your country or state is absolutely vital, they could be doing crimes to you that you didn't even know were crimes if you don't do your research into laws of your area.

Edited March 14 by Vmedvil