Cyberstalking: Utilizing Newspaper Accounts to Establish Victimization Patterns

• NCJ Number: 232498
• Journal: Victims & Offenders Volume: 3 Issue: 2 & 3 Dated: April 2008 Pages: 131-141
• Author(s): Laura J. Moriarty; Kimberly Freiberger
• Date Published: April 2008
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article examines the results of a study that used newspaper accounts of cases of cyberstalking to determine patterns of victimization.

Abstract

This manuscript reports the findings of an exploratory study that examines cyberstalking incidents as reported in newspapers in order to better understand victimization patterns. Several variables are examined including type and frequency of victimization (i.e., behaviors that constitute cyberstalking), the gender of the victim, and the relationship between the victim and the offender. An application of Roberts and Dziegielewski's (2006) stalking typology is employed to see how well this typology explains offender motive. Findings include that females are most likely to be the victims of cyberstalking while males are most likely to be the offenders. In most cases, the victim and offender do not have a prior relationship. Offender motive for cyberstalking differs from stalking; however, the stalking typology is a good fit for classifying cyberstalking offender motive. (Published Abstract)