Cyberstalking

Abstract

The advent of communication technologies has allowed for terrestrial forms of interpersonal victimization to move into cyberspace. One example of this is cyberstalking. The current chapter aims to synthesize the existing cyberstalking research published within the fields of criminology and victimology. Specifically, attention is first given to how cyberstalking has been defined in the legal and scholarly communities and the associated difficulties. The chapter continues with an exploration of the prevalence and patterns of both cyberstalking perpetration and victimization. In order to further understand who engages in cyberstalking perpetration and those who are cyberstalking victims, a review of the theoretical explanations is presented. An understudied, yet equally important, avenue in cyberstalking research is related to what occurs after the victimization. Thus, research on the reporting and help-seeking behaviors of cyberstalking victims is presented. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future directions for cyberstalking research.