Facebook and Cyber Stalking - Essay Example

Facebook Cyber Stalking Facebook Cyber Stalking The use of media in the society provides a path for socializing, cognitive development of the youth, emotional expression, thus it defines the way a person would spend his time. The advent of internet led to social networking which has rapidly grown in the recent past. Many social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, twitter, Fraudster etc provides an interface, which links people from various parts of the world. Technology has provided a means through, which people are able to post their photographs and shares their views about life. The number of social network users keeps growing everyday. Social networks provide a cheap way of expressing ideas. The use of social network poses various challenges in the society (Chaulk & Jones, 2011). Many people have often deal with ugly social situation following cyber stalking. This paper explores the factors that contribute to cyber stalking by focusing on use of media in networking. It further looks at the impending threats that it poses to social development. Media acts as a tool, which people use to disseminate information to the society. Social fabric depends on media use because any information that preaches hatred or peace would reach large audience when expressed in media. Technological development has contributed to creation of social networking sites. Cyber stalking is electronic method of harassing individuals using internet. Lamber Royakkers, a renowned professor of technology, argues that stalking is a mental violation (assault) where the perpetrator disruptively or unwontedly intrudes into the victim’s world aiming at infringing on the rights of the victim. Largely the perpetrator does not have any relationship with the victim. The method used in passing information influences the legal implication on the victims. In some cases, an individual may fail to identify the gravity of the information that he relays to the society. Before an individual describes a case as cyber stalking, one has to identify the legal authority and its description to cyber stalking. Each case of cyber stalking has its own magnitude to an individual, thus prompting different approach in each case of cyber stalking. Some identified cases of cyber stalking include; premeditation, malice, distress, repetition, obsession, without legitimate purpose, vendetta, harassment, personally directed and disregarded warning to stop (Chaulk & Jones, 2011). The legal implication that various forms of stalking carry depends on the existing legislations in the society. For instance, malice has a different psychological impact to an individual compared to issuing of threats. Repetition of an event or various events in an individual life leads to internal mental movie or schemas (Tiffany et. al, 2008). An individual has the ability to develop schemas of any occurrence. For instance, relationship schemas occur when a person experiences romantic or parental relationship. These schemas develop because of the perception developed by an individual regarding life experience. Stalking on the other hand would influence individual schemas since it occurs without the consent of the perpetrated party. The society is experiencing various forms of stalking which have psychological effects to the victim. For instance, cyber stalking may promote threatening information to unsuspecting individual. This information would psychologically torture the victim due to the internal mental schemas that he or she develops (Tiffany, Yevdokiya & Sandra, 2008). Proper functionality of an individual depends on schemas that one develops over a certain period. Fear occurs due to schemas that an individual develops. A research into the causative factors of cyber stalking argues that crime depends on numerous social factors, which include differential association (Karen, 2006). For instance criminal activities of significant others have an influence to the associated parties e.g. peers. On the other hand, differential costs or benefits of the crime are another factor that influences crime in societal set up. Arguing from learning theory, crime is social activity, which an individual may learn through interaction that happens within intimate groups. Factors such as individual opinion, attitude, and perception concerning peer relationship have an influence on cyber stalking. An individual develops criminal intents after considering social and differential factors. It is apparent that each person is responsible for his behavior. Further, a perception towards a behavior has a greater influence than the behavior in question. Testing of learning theories seek to identify the motive behind deviant actions of individuals in the society. Largely, from the research conducted, it is apparent that stalking behavior is a recipe of social and differential factors (Tiffany et. al, 2008). An individual’s beliefs or perception influences victimization in the society. Victimization of individuals is an indication of the rate at which stalking occurs in the society. Many youths and some college students spend most of their time in the internet a fact that has an influence to cyber stalking. Some common trends in college stick on individual minds. Some people may prefer to emulate a behavior of an individual with considering the impact it has in the society. Arguing from research finding on internet usage among students in various colleges, it is evident that some social network users have experienced stalking (Tiffany et. al, 2008). Based on stalking definition, the repeated action of sending, seeking to know, or acquisition of information from unknown individual or sending of viruses to his computer among other forms of stalking illustrates the need for more research and creation of measures to curb the vice (Karen, 2006). For instance, increase of stalking cases in the society requires legal measures. Some states in America have constituted legal measures, which aim at addressing cases of cyber stalking. Provisions on the anti-stalking laws describes as stalker as a person who engage in unwanted, pursuit of the victim repeatedly which results in disruption or fear on victims daily activities. Many reported cases of cyber stalking illustrate involvement of the perpetrator over along period. This indicates that the stalking activities form a habit of the perpetrator. Study on perception about cyber stalking presents a hypothetical scenario where an individual stalks the other (Fox et. al, 2011). Further, observation indicates that gender factor influence the behavior of stalkers. For example, a male stalker continuously stalks a female victim for some time. The scenarios observed revealed a female stalking were frequent than in cases of male. The observation depicts a trend observed by women in the society. In many cases, women often fall prey to social evils directed to them by men (Fox et. al, 2011). The research is not able to reveal the perception of the stalkers, but provide a basis of argument which illustrate the in all cases stalkers engaged in unwanted behavior for repeated number of times. Research on factors contributing to formation of stalking schemas argues that people develop schemas from various sources. Evidently, forms of mild harassing attitude such as give or send her/him a gift to severe stalking behavior such as threatening with a weapon occur to female than men (Karen, 2006). This illustrates that women are attuned to stalking than men. The method applied by men to seduce women also illustrates the extent of stalking in the society. It is probable that some cases of communication may expose one to stalking schemas based on previous experience. For example, some men insist on continuing with their quest for romantic relationship by ignoring women rejection. Online stalking behavior also illustrates similar stalking trends observed previously. Social networking sites provide information about individual background. For example, facebook may contain detailed information about individual private life. Studies conducted among Facebook users indicate that cyber stalking is common (Tiffany et. al, 2008). This occurs because the information of the Facebook user provides information that he or she did not intend to share in public. While the intention of social network is to provide a means of linking people, some stalking may occur when one is offline. For instance, a stalker may acquire information from facebook and use it to stalk on unsuspecting victim. In conclusion, a number of issues appear for discussion and recommendations following the studies conducted. It is evident that individual perception and differential factors influence a person’s behavior towards cyber stalking. An incident such accessing private individual information has to be unwanted and occur repeatedly in order to qualify as stalking. People develop schemas depending on experience they have on an issue. Thus, stalking schemas occur due to the prevailing social trends observed by individuals in the society. Women are highly exposed to stalking than men. This paper recommends further research on factors that contribute to cyber stalking. There is need for enhances of legislation which aim at protecting victims of cyber stalking. References Chaulk, K. & Jones, T. (2011). Online Obsessive Relational Intrusion: Further Concerns About Facebook. New York: Springer Science Business Media. Fox, A. K., Nobles, R. M., & Akers, L. R. (2011). Is stalking a learned phenomenon? An empirical test of social learning. Journal of Criminal Justice.Texas: Sam Houston State University. Kalpidou, M., Costin, D. & Morris, J. (2008).Cyberpsychology, Behavior, And Social Networking. The Relationship Between Facebook and the Well-Being of Undergraduate College Students. New York: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Karen, L. Y. (2006). Violence and Victims. Influence of Gender and Experience on College Students Stalking Schemas. Arkansas: Arkansas State University Tiffany, A. P., Yevdokiya A. Y. & Sandra L, C. (2008). Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. College students social networking experiences on Facebook. Washington: Elsevier Read More