NCJ Number
213514
Date Published
2001
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This chapter analyzes the nature of abusive communications transmitted over the Internet and how the harm they cause may warrant a legal response.
Abstract
The frequency, prevalence, and nature of abusive and harassing textual communications over the Internet are unknown. What is known, however, is that the mechanism of the abuse is most often keyed-in text. The ability of the abusive communication to harm the recipient depends on the nature of previous interactions between the sender and receiver, notably in terms of the psychological power the sender has exercised over the receiver of the communication. These factors determine the power of the online text to evoke mental images in the recipient that foster fear, anxiety, and emotions that diminish self-esteem and a sense of well-being. This occurs as the mental images evoked in the recipient by a powerful online communication stimulate in the recipient images of physical violence and the threat of an offline physical attack. The potential for such psychological harm through electronic communications warrants legal action if basic human rights are to be upheld; however, before any regulatory body can develop an appropriate response to online abusive text, the likelihood and level of harm associated with a particular online communication must be clear. This chapter distinguishes between the harms caused by various abusive online communications as the basis for criminal and civil actions against the sender. 37 references