Cyberstalkers

You hear about it everyday. People, mostly girls, being persuaded by men to do or say things they wouldn't normally do because of a persistent admirer. If you are not sure that the person you have been talking to would be considered a stalker, here is a general explanation. Stalking is defined as repeated and persistent unwanted communications and/or approaches that produce fear in the victim. Lately the news has been littered with cases of Internet stalkers who hunt down, assault, and even kill their victims. I use to use instant messenger all the time. I thought it was fun and a great way to meet people. Then I realized, most of the guys that would "IM" me, were only interested in one thing....SEX. The ones that freaked me out, I ignored and they would generally go away. Some were a little more persistent than others. Since the beginning of computers and the Internet, stalkers have come a long way. Did you know that a person can look up your personal information? If they have your phone number, they can even find out your address. Scary? You betcha. You cant look up a cell phone number quite as easy as a land line but it can be done. Here are a few things to help:

1. When faced with this issue, it is best to ignore and move on. Do not show any interest with this person for he or she will feed on your reactions.

2. Do not react on what this person does to you. Don't speak or show any sign that he or she is really getting to you, because this will keep them going.

3. Most of the time you dont know the person that you are talking to. You need to stay on your toes because it is very easy to trick anyone online. Don't put any of your life history and personal information including your full real name online. I know you would think this is a given but people do it all the time.

There are quite a few places a stalker can find you. Myspace is a perfect example. They did an investigation and found thousands of pedophiles on this site. Young girls are the easiest target but so are desperate people. If you are freshly out of a relationship, you could be the perfect target. Watch yourself. If the person does not stop after being asked, you might want to consider legal action. It's happened to me. Not the legal action part but being cyberstalked. I no longer use my Instant Messenger and I feel much safer.