ABSTRACT
Despite nearly a decade of prominent criminological research, there is no concise, universally accepted denition of traditional stalking, and to make matters worse, there is even less literature available in reference to cyber stalking (McFarlane & Bocij, 2003). Consequently, the cyber stalkers’ behaviors, patterns, and tactics are largely misunderstood and-to a certain extent-unknown (Mustaine & Tewksbury, 1999). ›e term cyber stalking generally refers to the use of the Internet, e-mail, or other electronic communication device to create a criminal level of intimidation, harassment, and fear in one or more victims (Petrocelli, 2005; Reno, 1999). As mentioned, there is very little known about cyber stalking, but what is accepted is that cyber stalking behaviors can vary from a nonthreatening e-mail to a potentially deadly encounter between the stalker and the targeted victim (Hutton & Haantz, 2003). ›e obvious key to distinguishing traditional stalking from cyber stalking is that cyber stalkers rely predominantly on the Internet and other electronic communication devices to harass, threaten, and intimidate their targeted victims. Most cyber stalking behaviors are premeditated, are repetitious, and can be quite aggressive in their approach but only border on being truly illegal under current statutory law in most states (Hutton & Haantz, 2003).
