Cyberstalking and Cyberbullying

Book excerpt: In the past, teens bullied each other in neighborhoods or on school grounds. Now, they can use the Internet to intimidate others, which is not as easily detected or investigated by parents or other adults. Cyberstalking, another form of harassment, occurs when people use the Internet and mobile devices to send or post messages of a threatening or sexual nature. Taken together, these forms of online abuse and crime comprise extremely challenging problems for society. Cyberstalking and Cyberbullying helps teens understand these issues, giving them information to protect themselves and avoid bullying or stalking others online. Examinations of real-life cases will introduce teens to 13-year-old Megan Meier, who was driven to suicide as a result of cyberbullying from a classmate's mother posing online as a teenage boy, and the arrest of a man charged with stalking movie star Uma Thurman both online and in person. These true examples, coupled with smart text, will give teens the knowledge they need to avoid being a victim or a perpetrator. Chapters and topics include: Who bullies and stalks people online How bullies and stalkers operate The consequences of bullying and stalking Efforts to fight online bullying and stalking Precautions and warning signs.