Cyber Bullies & Stalkers

Cyber Bullies are nothing new on the Internet. They hit and they run. They do not stop until you out them, which is what happened to the previous owner of this url. Then they kill the blog thinking nobody will find out they were the source of the problem.

Cyber Bullies will contact your friends, other posters, make unwanted posts on your blogs or other groups, and will not stop until they have destroyed all of your hard work and everyone stops posting. Some Cyber Bullies will actually go after your job, call you at work, send you unsolicited emails, and start a blog flaming you. Often they will link back to your blog to make it easier to find. Once these components have been reached you are not just dealing with an online stalker… You are dealing with a stalker. Stalkers rely on the ability to keep their name and personal information out of it.

Cyber Bullies and Stalkers actually feel they have been wronged if you expose them. Without question, exposing them is the only way to stop them. Unfortunately by this time the damage they have done often digs deep.

Often Cyber Bullies will leave a post that is full of holes and untruths and then go after your family members or your jobs telling them of your blog or group so they can see the post that was not true in hopes they will pass judgment on you. Unfortunately, often it works. There are still many who cannot critically think and do not dig deeper.

If this happens to you… Do not wish it away, as it will not go away on its own. Confront it head on and the sooner the better to minimize the damage.

Here are some suggestions with any blogs I would recommend.

--Install a site meter on all your blogs… This can be useful later. Save all the info on it.

--Go to the latest version of blogspot as they have an rss feed for the blogs

--Save all emails including headers

--DO NOT KILL YOUR BLOG – it may become your saving grace

--If it does not stop and you have acquired their personal information. POST IT. 90% of the time if you call a Cyber Stalker on them slinking around behind no name on the internet they will get arrogant and send you an email giving you their name and telling you they have no problem with you posting it. Then of course whine when you do and tell others how you have injured them.

--If they kill the blog they used to flame you, go get the URL, making it your blog. The good news is the rss feed (post atom) will still be intact. Be sure to subscribe to it as soon as you realize you have a problem. This may be the only method short of a court order you have of proving they were harassing, stalking and flaming you as the RSS Feed will still contain all of the posts made.

--Do not stoop to their level. Once it gets to this point it is time to contact your local authorities. If your local authorities will not do their job I would recommend contacting the Attorney General for your state. They often can be persuaded to get the local authorities to do their job.

--Always remember a Cyber Bullie is only effective in anonymity and will not stop until caught. They may come back under a different name so keep those site meters current. The authorities know what to do with them.

Yours Truly,
A security and forensics major in Computer Science.