S You Should Take If You Are A Victim Of A Cyberstalker:
- Save all evidence:
print out any harassing emails .
print out and save any harassing instant messages and private messages.
save any harassing text messages .
note dates and times of all harassment on paper.
keep any harassing and threatening letters and make copies of the letters.
keep any harassing and threatening voice-mail messages and phone numbers .
save and print out any harassing messages or defamatory messages about you on social networking sites
if applicable, write down & also bookmark the username and profile URL of person harassing you via social networking website.
- Be proactive and take action by filing a report with your local law enforcement agent or file a complaint to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3. *FightCyberstalking.org is not responsible for complaints you submit to your local law enforcement agency or to the Federal Bureau of Investigation/FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3.
- Talk to someone so you dont go through this alone seek support from a trusted friend, family member, or a professional counselor.
Are You Or Someone You Know Being Stalked
Are you afraid for your safety or the safety of someone known to you because of the words or actions of another person?
- Is someone repeatedly following you or someone known to you from place to place? Repeatedly is more that one time and does not have to be for an extended period of time. The incidents may have occurred during the same day.
- Is someone repeatedly communicating with you, either directly or indirectly?Directly can be by telephone, in person, leaving messages on answering machines, or sending unwanted gifts, notes, letters or e-mails.Indirectly can be by contacting people you know and having messages sent through them or simply by making repeated unwanted inquiries about you.
- Is someone persistently close by or watching your home or any place where you or anyone known to you live, works, carries on business or happens to be?
- Have you or any member of your family been threatened by this person?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions you or someone you know may be a victim of criminal harassment .
Women And Workplace Sexual Harassment
The numbers on sexual harassment are staggering, as shown by a 2018 study on sexual harassment and assault by a nonprofit called Stop Street Harassment. It found that 81% of women and 43% of men had experienced some form of sexual harassment during their lifetime. This type of harassment most commonly occurs at work.
The tech industry in the U.S. is especially notorious for the workplace and sexual harassment. Susan Ho, entrepreneur and founder of the travel startup Journy, spoke to CNN about the challenges of being a female entrepreneur in the American tech industry. Silicon Valley is particularly infamous for its skewed power dynamics, where capital and the positions of power are largely controlled by men.
When female founders are pitching their business ideas to men, its not uncommon to hold the meetings in informal locations like restaurants or coffee shops, frequently after working hours, explained Ho. This type of setting can blur the lines of what is appropriate and what isnt, putting the woman in a more vulnerable, disempowered position, often leading to instances of workplace sexual harassment.
Entrepreneur and founder of a mental health startup, Bea Arthur, shared similar views and experiences for the CNN piece. She noted: If looks at another man, he sees them as an opportunity, a colleague, a peer, a mentor. But if youre a female founder, he just sees you as a woman first.
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Difference Between Stalking Online And Stalking In Real Life
Cyberstalking is the extension of traditional offline stalking. They are similar in some respectsboth online stalkers and traditional offline stalkers harass and threaten their victims. If rejected, these offenders can act aggressively. In some cases, they suffer from some form of personality disorder, which makes them believe that they are not doing anything wrong, let alone committing a crime.
These two forms of stalking also have some noteworthy differences.
Someone Has Been Sending Me Offensive Emails Or Threatening / Harassing Me Over The Internet What Should I Do
If the harassment is physically threatening or contains racial, sexual or religious overtones, it may constitute an offence and should be reported by calling us on 105 or visiting your local police station as soon as possible.
For more advice, visit NetSafe or freephone 0508 NETSAFE .
If the person is harassing you online via email, an online messaging service or on a social networking site, you can also contact the site and ask them to deal with the person in accordance with their terms and conditions. You can also set up your email to block messages from unwelcome email addresses. NetSafe can help you with this.
If you feel you are in immediate danger call 111.
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Filing A Police Report
Getting Information Help And Support
Information about your case
- Check the status of your case by contacting the police.
- Be sure to use the police file number assigned to your case.
- Stay in touch with the police, victim services and the Crown prosecutor and let them know of any changes to your address or telephone number.
Community Resource List
Create your personal community resource list. In addition to the police, there are a variety of organizations that can offer support or helpful information. Look in the white, yellow or blue pages of your telephone book for contact numbers for the following local or provincial agencies:
| Helpful Resource |
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Get Help After A Sexual Assault
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Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline anytime at 1-800-656-HOPE . They will connect you anonymously with a counselor at your nearest rape treatment center.
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Find state domestic violence resources online.
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Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline anytime at 1-800-799-SAFE . You can talk confidentially with an advocate or find local resources.
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Contact the Loveisrespect hotline if you or someone you know is a victim of teen dating violence. Reach a peer advocate anytime by phone at , by texting loveis to 22522, or by chat online.
How To Report Harassing Phone Calls Or Text Messages To The Police In 2021
1. Save the Harassment Data
If you are making use of a phone that has the ability of taking screenshots, then you should screenshot the data. If the device you are using does not come with this feature, you should take of picture of the screen with another camera. You will also want to Lock or Protect each harassing message. But you still must be sure to have backup copies in the event that something happens to your phone so your data is not lost.
2. Get Your Cell Phone Records
When you want to report a case of phone harassment to the police, you should get your cell phone records. You can do this by logging in to your account and downloading your cell phone records. Be sure to save and also print the records that coincide with the harassment you are experiencing.
3. Compile All Evidence
Next, you should gather and arrange all the information you have collected on the harasser in a fashion that will be easy for the police to navigate through.
You can make use of a file folder to help you with this. For instance, one folder can contain your photo evidence, the other can contain the print-outs of your cell phone records, another folder can consist of the proof of all the efforts you have made to stop the harassment such as evidence via screenshot of you telling the offender to stop harassing me as well as any other efforts you have taken.
4. Have your own copy
5. Include Your Contact Information
6. Go to the Police
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Are You Being Stalked Tips For Protection
What Is Stalking?
Stalking refers to harassing or threatening behavior that is engaged in repeatedly. Such harassment can be either physical stalking or cyberstalking.
Physical stalking is following someone, appearing at a persons home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing ones property.
Cyberstalking involves using the Internet or other electronic means to harass.
Either type of action may or may not be accompanied by a credible threat of serious harm. But both types can cause psychological damage, and each can potentially lead to an assault or even murder.
All states have anti-stalking laws, but the legal definitions vary. Some state laws require that the perpetrator, to qualify as a stalker, make a credible threat of violence against the victim. Others require only that the stalkers conduct constitute an implied threat. The model anti-stalking code developed by the National Institute of Justice doesnt require stalkers to make a credible threat, but it does require victims to feel a high level of fear.
Who Is Affected?
The landmark Stalking in America study by U.S. Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control concluded that eight percent of women and two percent of men have been stalked at some point in their lives. Researchers estimated that about one million women and 400,000 men are stalked each year in the United States.
Cyberstalking
California Law
Federal law
Bomb Threats By Telephone
If you receive a bomb threat over the telephone, Ready.gov provides the following information on what to do:
- Get as much information from the caller as possible. Try to ask the following questions:
- When is the bomb going to explode?
- Where is it right now?
- What does it look like?
- What kind of bomb is it?
- What will cause it to explode?
- Did you place the bomb?
The Department of Homeland Security also provides a helpful telephone bomb threat checklist.
Get more information on what to do if you receive a bomb threat or find a suspicious item.
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Technology & Social Media Platforms
Acts of online abuse â impersonation, cyberstalking, revenge porn, harassment and more â can be reported to most online platforms like Instagram or Twitter. Such acts violate their user guidelines and policies. In response, these platforms MAY take action by deleting the offending post, message or account.
Before you report, know this: These companies are not legally obligated to comply with your request and cannot be held accountable for inaction or delay. Put another way, Facebook can refuse to take down an account that is blatantly impersonating you and suffer no legal consequences. Read this if you want to understand the law in question â Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act â that makes this possible.
That said, this is absolutely an actionable step to stop online abuse and should be utilized. Here are the dedicated pages to report abuse for , , , , Snapchat and TikTok.
Report Threats And Crime
General Public
Members of the public can report violations of U.S. federal law or suspected terrorism or criminal activity as follows:
Contact us online
- Use our Online Tips and Public Leads form to report information on criminal activity and suspected terrorist threats
- Report cyber crimes by filing a complaint with our Internet Crime Complaint Center
Contact us via telephone or mail
- Contact your local FBI office or closest international office24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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How To Report Harassment The Easiest Way With Donotpay
Harassment can happen to anyone, anywhere. It could happen in the workplace, on the street, over the phone, and on the often conveniently anonymous internet. You could be harassed by anyone, including former lovers, your neighbors, or your landlord. The official statistics on different types of harassment in the U.S. are concerningly high across the board, which probably means that the real picture is even grimmer.
So, what does it mean when somebody is harassing you? Sadly, there is more than one answer to this question. Harassment is an umbrella term that can cover a multitude of different types of abuse. Under U.S. laws, harassment is described as any repeated or uninvited contact that serves no useful purpose beyond creating alarm, annoyance, or emotional distress.
As a society, we are at risk of getting desensitized to harassment and bullying. This is all the more reason to educate ourselves, speak up, and stand up against the abuse.
What Is Stalking How To File Complaint Without Going To Police Station
This article captures everything that you need to know about stalking: What is Stalking? What is the meaning of Stalking or Cyberstalking? How Stalking Impacts Women? Is Stalking A Punishable Offense? What Is The Punishment For Stalking In India? Why Dont Women Complaint About Stalking? How To File Complaint Against Stalker? Read more to know.
Doesnt matter whether you are a school student or a college graduate or a housewife or a working professional, as long as you are a woman, you must have been the victim of stalking. There is an increasing number of Indian women who are being stalked on a regular basis. Many times, the perpetrators hang in the vicinity of our schools, offices, colleges, or homes!
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What Can You Do To Stop The Stalking Or Harassment
Persistent, unsolicited contact can be very unpleasant. It is obviously particularly unpleasant if the contact is threatening or otherwise punishable under the law. But the frequency or content of non-criminal contact can also make that contact unpleasant or disruptive.
This applies irrespective of whether the contact is in person, oral, or written. And it applies regardless of whether the contact is direct, such as telephone calls, emails, or letters, or whether the contact is indirect, such as when a person follows you without approaching you. There are a number of things you can do yourself if a person is stalking or harassing you in a frequent and unwanted way.
Avoid dialogue
It is important not to engage in a dialogue with the person stalking or harassing you, because it may give the impression that you are accepting the person’s contact. It may also affect the police’s possibility of issuing an exclusion order to stop him or her from approaching or contacting you.So, do not respond to any communication from the person stalking or harassing you. In this way, you also avoid escalating a potential conflict.
If you do decide to respond to the person’s attempts at contact, restrict yourself to telling the person that you do not want to be contacted anymore.
You can also change your routines, for example, take another route to work or buy your groceries somewhere else. Keep a record of any and all attempts at contact
Coping With Your Reactions
Looking after yourself is importantAfter the stress of whats happened, make time to take care of yourself. Eat healthy food. Drink enough water. Keep up routines and get good rest and sleep, as best you can. Do some simple exercise. Take some slow, deep breaths. Spend time with people you can relax with, or with a pet. Spend time in nature. If you find keeping busy helps, find useful tasks to do. See a doctor if youre unwell, extremely anxious, or are having difficulty sleeping. Draw on any cultural or spiritual beliefs you may have. Accept caring offers from others if that would help.
FlashbacksA flashback feels as though youre back in the middle of your traumatic experience or reliving some aspect of it. This can be in vivid detail and during a flashback it can be difficult and confusing to connect back to the present and to what is real. To better understand flashbacks and ways to manage them, see our information sheetDealing with Flashbacks.
Talk about what happenedWhen youre ready, talk to someone you trust about what happened, such as a trusted member of your family, whnau, a close friend, your doctor, a counsellor, a psychologist, a respected elder, rangatira, or a Victim Support Worker. If any aspects of your story are particularly disturbing, speak to a professional. Talking honestly about how things are can help release the stress and emotional tension inside.
If your reactions trouble you:
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