Cyber Harassment Definition

This is about how to deal with cyber harassment

Cyber harassment is when Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is used to harass, control, manipulate or defame a child, adult, business or group without a direct or implied threat of physical harm. Unlike physical harassment requiring face-to-face contact, cyber harassment needs the use of ICT and is verbal, sexual, emotional or social abuse of a person, group or organization. The cyber troll’s main goal is to get power and control over the victim(s).

Anyone can be a victim of internet harassment, irrespective of their age or gender. In fact, more than one third of Americans experience online harassment and want to see laws changed. 

Forms of Cyber Harassment

To clarify how broad online harassment is I will elaborate about some of Rexxfield’s cases. I receive cyber harassment cases all the time, from teenager online sexual harassment to corporate defamation. The calls I receive are very diverse. Some are relatively easy cases but emotionally devastating because it involves teenaged victims dealing with online sexual harassment. Other calls originate from successful people in multinational corporations. A significant amount of calls I get come from frustrated law-enforcement officials who are investigating serious crimes. I and my team helped with law enforcement investigations with different types of cases such as rape and robberies. But we also assisted police officers who received death threats and are living in fear despite their station in life.

The number of cyber harassment and online sexual harassment cases grow every day because of the increasing power of the internet and in particular Google. I believe anonymous free speech is a wonderful privilege and should be preserved. Many horrid issues have been avoided or solved because of the ability and permission to communicate anonymously. Think of situations like whistleblowing of white-collar crimes or community awareness of pedophiles moving into the neighborhood.

However, anonymity is subject to abuse. Unfortunately, “free speech” always comes at a cost – not always a positive cost. Because of the ability to publish anything you want anonymously, many false rumors and libelous attacks are destroying people’s lives. Motivated by hate and vindictive anti-social promoting, these serial cyber trolls are out to hurt people and are fuelled by the victim’s pain. Normal people can’t even imagine how these people think, however, they are out there, spreading their description on the internet. Public, for everyone to see.

How to Deal with Cyber Harassment

Whether it’s cyber harassment or online sexual harassment involving teenagers, the main intention of the cyber troll is to get a reaction from the victim. An internet troll or sociopath takes sadistic pleasure out of harassing their victim. The best way to counteract internet trolls is by not giving them what they want. Try not to react at all. I understand that it’s easier said than done but in many cases, it is better to avoid the confrontation – especially if you are concocting a legal strategy behind the scenes. But keep in mind that in any case – whether you confront or stay quiet – if it is eating you up, you need to seek help.

When it comes to cyber harassment, the victim has a significant advantage of saving evidence such as screenshots of threatening messages on phones and computers. Regular harassment victims don’t have this option which makes providing proof so much harder. So save everything you can to use as proof when needed.

Cyber harassment often is done through social media channels or texting. In this case, block the cyber troll from your account. It reduces direct communication, impact, and harassment to a great extent. However, if you are thinking of engaging cyber investigators like ourselves to help, don’t block communications just yet.

1. Identify and report cyber trolls

Even if your cyber troll is a tech-savvy hacker who hides behind proxies, there are ways to identify the person. When you identified your antagonist efficiently, you can take him or her to court. Through online investigation services – such as our identifying anonymous antagonists service – you have proof to present in court to get the harassment to stop and a court-ordered takedown of the defaming content.

Help me Identify my Cyber Troll

2. Remove damaging content from Google

If you don’t have the financial resources to hire professionals to identify your bully, you can ask Google to take the defaming results down. I recommend this route if you are a resident of a common law country. Our page1.me team has a high success rate for clients from common law countries, by asking Google to remove the defaming material from the search results.

3. Reduce damage by suppressing harmful content

If the above options don’t work out, suppression may be something you want to pursue. This does not remove the material but significantly reduces the impact by hiding it from other people. In some cases, this strategy could be the best and cheapest before anything else. For example, if your attacker has stopped the harassment, you don’t want to wake the beast. However, if you are being attacked online and you know your cyber troll won’t stop, litigation might be the only way to go.

What can be done to Prevent Harassment while Online

Always secure your phone with a password and never share the password of your phone or social media account with anyone. Not your best friend, or your spouse. Many of our cases involve online slandering by an ex-partner after a messy breakup. If you share your login details, that person can impersonate you and create nasty surprises by visiting your email or social media accounts.

If you want a consultation to discuss your case and determine the best strategy to pursue, fill in this form and I will be in touch soon.

Cyber harassment laws and regulations 

Cyber harassment laws and regulations vary across jurisdictions, but many countries have legislation that addresses the growing problem of online harassment. These cyber harassment laws provide legal recourse for people experiencing harm, threats, or intimidation through online platforms. Although laws vary across jurisdictions, there are some common elements found in cyber harassment laws:

Criminalization of Online Harassment: Laws often criminalize various forms of online harassment, including cyberbullying, stalking, and the dissemination of threatening or harmful content.

Defining Cyber Harassment in Law: Legislation typically provides a clear definition of cyber harassment, outlining the behaviors that constitute an offense. In most laws, this included online threats, defamation, hate speech, or the intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Laws often address online stalking or intimidation, to offer victims protection against antagonists who persist in unwanted online behavior to cause fear or distress.

Some laws may address the unauthorized access, use, or distribution of personal information online. Think doxxing, the unauthorized sharing of private details with malicious intent.

There are also specific provisions that target harassment through electronic communications, such as emails, text messages, or social media platforms.

Cyberbullying Laws: Some jurisdictions have separate laws for cyberbullying, especially when minors are involved. These laws may impose stricter penalties for harassing or intimidating behavior targeting young individuals.

Revenge Porn Legislation: Some jurisdictions have specific laws addressing the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, commonly known as revenge porn. These laws are in place to protect individuals from the malicious distribution of private content without their consent.

Cyberbullying vs. Cyber Harassment

Many people refer to cyberbullying and cyber harassment as the same thing. Even though they are similar, they are different, especially in law. So let’s dive into these differences:

Cyberbullying:

Cyber bullying is a form of online harassment but characterized by targeted behavior using a power imbalance used to exert dominance and control. It often refers to situations in schools, with minors being victims and perpetrators. The motivations of cyberbullying are generally social dominance, peer pressure, or personal dislike.

Cyber Harassment:

Cyber harassment however is a broader term that contains more broad online bahaviors with the intent to cause harm, fear, or distress to someone. Unlike cyberbullying, cyber harassment occurs in a broader realm and is not confined to schools but also work places, social media, online platforms, text messages, emails, etc. The motivations for this malicious behavior ranges from personal revenge to ideological differences. 

Legal consequences for cyber harassment are often more extensive. Understanding the differences between cyberbullying and cyber harassment is crucial to decide on an effective strategy to address and stop online misconduct.

Emotional effects on victims

Victims of cyber harassment often live with constant stress and anxiety as the threat of a digital attack hangs over you. Sometimes these feelings grow into sadness and hopelessness that mirror depression. In severe cases, not unknown to us, victims may deal with post-traumatic stress and emotional numbness. 

Beyond the emotional toll, cyber harassment takes a toll on mental and physical health as well. Sleep becomes a battleground, with stress disrupting normal sleep patterns. Physical symptoms like headaches and stress-related ailments affect physical health. And the fear of what’s next often results in social withdrawal as victims fear judgment and further attacks, causing them to withdraw from loved ones. 

We have seen and heard it all unfortunately, and understand the emotional toll cyber harassment has on victims. 

But you don’t have to keep living in fear. You may feel hopeless and defenceless, but there is no such thing as anonymity when it comes to the internet. People may hide behind anonymous profiles, phone numbers, and VPNs, but we can still trace them down and give you the evidence you need to build a case. 

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