Having a good and dear friend here on the internet being stalked for months now I decided to do a bit of research on the net about stalkers. I was quite shocked to see the amount of info there is on this subject.. this obviously meaning that it is quite a problem already.

I will publish a few of the links I gathered here on the net at the end of this article, but would like to quote from [link] what it says there in particular about internet stalkers – or rather their profile.

Quote

Internet stalking
The Internet offers new opportunities for stalking, hence the term cyber stalking. The cyberstalker can, from the safety of his or her home, or the anonymity of an office environment, trace, track and find out personal details of the target, including address, phone number, and more sinisterly, addresses and details of the target's family. The Internet also offers unlimited opportunity to befriend lonely, vulnerable and nice people who can be persuaded to start a relationship. Most people do not recognise the symptoms of stalking and the techniques a stalker employs to target them.
Internet stalker profile (and any stalker, especially a male)
If you've been wooed by a cyberstalker, this profile will bring you back to reality:
• lives in a 1-room apartment which hasn't been cleaned for months - if ever
• has stacks of pornographic magazines in his bedroom area
• has poor personal hygiene
• has poor table manners
• has poor social etiquette
• hasn't changed the sheets on his bed for months, which are now best described as crusty
• has a bathroom, the state of which doesn't bear thinking about
• lives on pizza and beer/coke, the remnants of which litter his apartment
• may have an unusual pet (eg ferret) which has free run of the apartment
• is either significantly over- or under-weight
• has a small moustache or other facial hair
• has not held down any job for more than a couple of years, probably less
• has no friends
• has no life outside the Internet
The Internet stalker probably has other unpleasant characteristics that sexual harassers possess, and the usual sexual inadequacy including lack of intimacy, controlling behaviour, no concept of the partner's needs, premature ejaculation, and an abnormal belief bordering on obsession in his smallness.
Unquote

I don’t know about the legal aspect of this problem here on dA. I have no idea what dA can do or not if one of its members is being harassed by such a stalker. One thing I do know though is that people who are being harassed by such sickos need our support. We as a community – even if it is huge and it is not possible to know each member – should back up our friends and co-dA-ers who have or had the misfortune to become the target of such a cyber stalker. I personally think that a list of stalkers should be published on dA so that people can be forewarned. Of course I know that these stalkers can and will change their names in a jiffy if necessary. Nevertheless by bringing them out into the public view we are sending out two signals..
a) to the victims by showing them our support and and love – and saying YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS
and
b) to the stalker showing him/her – we KNOW you, we WATCH you.

It is imperative that the victims speak out and it is imperative that we, their friends show that we care. One of the goals of the stalker is to terrorize his victim, to isolate her/him, to make her/him feel alone, insecure, afraid. By standing by our friends we can at least try to prevent for the victim to fall into isolation! And DON’T just say.. ‘go away and leave me alone’.. this could happen to any of us and you might be the next victim who needs help from friends, family and community members!

This is all I can say at the moment. Please go to our community member and friend and show her your love and support – and that you CARE!

Thank you!

mimulux

Links for people who are being harassed and stalked on the Internet:

[link] bullyolnine.org
[link] haltabuse.org
[link] wiredsafetey.org
[link] cyberbullying.us
[link] [link]
[link] cyberbullying.ca

IF YOU WANT TO PLACE A LINK TO THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR JOURNAL PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO!!! SPREAD THE WORD ON THIS ISSUE!!!