Officers Get Together To Fight Cyber-Stalking
Seminar Led By Former Cyber-Stalking Victim
POSTED: 6:18 pm EST March 10,
2004
UPDATED: 6:35 pm EST March 10,
2004
FAIRFAX, Va. -- Law enforcement agencies from around the region got together Wednesday to talk about the growing problem of cyber-stalking.
Every year more people are becoming victims of cyber-stalking. That's when a stalker pursues a victim online.
Even though the stalking is online, it generates a lot of fear for the victim.
On Wednesday, law enforcement and officials from George Mason University took part in a seminar to learn how to deal with the growing problem.Jayne Hitchcock instructed federal and local law enforcement officials on the problem. She said the stalking can take many forms, from constant contact in chat rooms, to unwanted e-mails.Virginia enacted a law against cyber-stalking in 2000.Hitchcock was a cyber-stalking victim herself when she was living in Crofton, Md., back in 1997.She's now the president of Working to Halt Online Abuse, or WHO@. The organization helps victims trace cyber-stalkers and report them to police.Hitchcock said that in 70 percent of the cases, a cyber-stalker will stop after WHO@ contacts the harasser's Internet service provider. However, in some cases the stalking escalates and possibly leads to physical contact.George Mason University' s sexual assault services organized the seminar after noticing a yearly spike in the number of students who report stalking.Hitchcock says the organization has noticed another trend. The number of male cyber-stalking victims has nearly doubled since 2000.
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On Wednesday, law enforcement and officials from George Mason University took part in a seminar to learn how to deal with the growing problem.Jayne Hitchcock instructed federal and local law enforcement officials on the problem. She said the stalking can take many forms, from constant contact in chat rooms, to unwanted e-mails.Virginia enacted a law against cyber-stalking in 2000.Hitchcock was a cyber-stalking victim herself when she was living in Crofton, Md., back in 1997.She's now the president of Working to Halt Online Abuse, or WHO@. The organization helps victims trace cyber-stalkers and report them to police.Hitchcock said that in 70 percent of the cases, a cyber-stalker will stop after WHO@ contacts the harasser's Internet service provider. However, in some cases the stalking escalates and possibly leads to physical contact.George Mason University' s sexual assault services organized the seminar after noticing a yearly spike in the number of students who report stalking.Hitchcock says the organization has noticed another trend. The number of male cyber-stalking victims has nearly doubled since 2000.Copyright 2004 by nbc4.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
