Electronic harassment

Abstract: Over the last few years governments, law enforcement agencies, and the media have noted increases of online harassment. Although there has been a great deal of research into 'offline stalking', at this moment in time there has been no formal research that attempts to classify cyberstalkers. This study aimed to identify a classification of cyberstalkers by interviewing victims. Twenty-four participants were interviewed and their responses logged on a 76-item Cyberstalking Incident Checklist. A typology of cyberstalkers was developed.

Abstract: Electronic harassment is a pervasive phenomenon among young people, however relatively little is known about actions that targets of harassment may undertake to manage such abuse, and whether particular actions and personal characteristics are associated with successful resolution of such harassment. This mixed methods research identified whether particular actions or characteristics are associated with the resolution of distressing electronic harassment situations. Study one used focus groups interviews with 36 New Zealand (NZ) students (aged 13-15) to explore strategies used to manage electronic harassment. Study two drew on these findings, in conjunction with literature reviews, to construct a questionnaire delivered to 1673 students (aged 12-19). Over half of participants used more than one strategy to try and resolve the abuse. Ignoring abuse was the most popular strategy, followed by confronting and fighting strategies. However, multivariate logistic regression showed ignoring did not predict resolution, and nor did received adult or family support. However a sense of efficacy in approaching adults did predict resolution. The quality of intervention, rather than the type of intervention per se, seems to be critical in the successful resolution harassment. Reflecting on both studies we suggest the need to increase young people's confidence in actively dealing with harassment as well as supporting adults and peers to provide effective support.

Abstract: In this paper we analyze the similarities and differences between traditional (physical, verbal, relational, sexual) and electronic forms of violent behavior among peers. Violent behavior, which is a characteristic of the real world (insults, disinformation, slander) has been extended to the virtual world, but modern technology has also allowed: a) new forms (flaming, electronic harassment and intimidation, false imprisonment, assault videotaping and sexting) and b) more intense and brutal youth participation in violent activities, most likely because of the anonymity, indirect contact with the victim and deflection of responsibility. Violence perpetrators in the real and virtual worlds both have similar characteristics (lack of empathy and shame, neglect of moral norms, a tendency to minimize personal guilt and responsibility, ignoring the consequences and victim suffering, and similar family problems), and the victims experience almost identicalcon sequences: psychosomatic, emotional (especially anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts), educational, as well as difficulties in establishing and maintaining social contacts. Because of the large exposure and serious risks to psychological health, safety and welfare of children, there is a need to educate children, parents, teachers and doctors about the possible threats in the real and virtual worlds, and scientific research should provide tools for effective prevention and targeted interventions to reduce peer violence. Conclusion – With regard to peer-to-peer violence in the real world, modern technology has made new modalities and the more intensive participation possible of children in violent activities, but the perpetrators of these forms of violence have similar characteristics, and the victims identical consequences.

Abstract: IntroductionInterest in research related to Internet-based deviance has increased dramatically over the last decade. One area in which interest has increased equally among both academics and practitioners alike is the realm of online harassment, which is sometimes referred to as cyberbullying. With some estimates claiming that as many as 97% of all youth use the Internet on a regular basis (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2007), it is easy to understand why the topic is gaining interest. It is believed that these youths are using the Internet for playing games and communicating with friends (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004b; Subrahmanyam & Greenfield, 2008), maintaining online blogs concerning their lives and interests (Mitchell, Wolak, & Finkelhor, 2008), and using social networking sites to develop and maintain relationships (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2008; Dilmac, 2009). Each of these behaviors could potentially lead a young person to encounter harassment or bullying. The Internet behaviors of young people could potentially cause them severe harm, with some recent media reports linking cyberbullying and online harassment to suicide-related deaths and attempted suicides among juveniles (Bhat, 2008; Ruedy, 2008).In discussing online harassment and cyberbullying it is important to understand what is meant by the terms. Hinduja and Patchin (2008) define cyberbullying as "willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text" (p.131), while Ybarra and Mitchell (2004) define online harassment as "an overt, intentional act of aggression towards another person online" (p.1308). For purposes of the current work the term online harassment will be used, but it should be noted that studies in this area have used the terms interchangeably, with the exception being Wolak, Mitchell, and Finkelhor's (2007) argument that online harassment does not meet the traditional definition of bullying because of an absence of repetition and a lack of physical aggression in terms of the online behaviors. The current work seeks to add to an emerging body of literature by examining several Internet-related activities and parental regulation behaviors in order to determine whether these factors influence the likelihood of a youth indicating that they have been a victim of online harassment. Before examining the current analysis, however, it is important to briefly examine the literature on online harassment and the various factors that have been found to influence online victimization.Past Studies of Online HarassmentPast studies on the frequency of online harassment have found differing rates of victimization and offending. For example, Bhat (2008) reported that studies of Australian youth indicated as many as 42% of youth had been harassed online, while Hinduja and Patchin (2008) found that 36% of girls and 32% of boys indicated that they have been victims of online harassment. Wolak, Mitchell, and Finkelhor (2007) were more conservative in their findings, indicating that approximately 9% of their nation-wide sample indicated that they had been victimized by online harassment. These differences could be attributable to sampling methodologies but it also just as likely that these differences could be attributed to what Wolak, Mitchell and Finkelhor (2007) discussed as a lack of "standard definitions of online harassment" (p. S51).With the increasing numbers of youth moving their activities to the Internet there is believed to be a growing number of potential victims being introduced to the technology every day (Gillespie, 2006). Keith and Martin (2005) noted that parents have begun providing cellular telephones to their children in an effort to make them more accessible and better prepared to handle emergency situations. In the course of doing this, however, they may have unintentionally provided a new tool to be used in the electronic harassment of their child or someone else's child. While historically online harassment may have been viewed as a nuisance or a mere inconvenience there is a growing acceptance that online harassment may move beyond mere annoyance and actually cause serious psychological harm to youthful victims, up to and including a deterioration of their physical health (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004; Wang, Iannotti, & Nansel, 2009). …