Cyberbullying and the Wild, Wild Web

Book excerpt: The world has changed drastically over the past decade. The Internet has had a huge part in that, as it has made the world more accessible to anyone of any age, race, or gender. Used for entertainment, education, shopping, dating and more, the internet has provided a whole new virtual world for everyone to enjoy. But with the good also comes the bad—and for kids and teens these days, the bad has becomes a constant threat from cyberbullies and cyberstalking. J. A. Hitchcock began to have an interest in cyberstalking and cyberbullies in 1996 when she blew the whistle on a literary agency scam. They stole her identity and began posting messages online pretending to be her; and that was only the beginning of a barrage of threats. When she contacted local police they had never had an internet-related case and couldn’t help her, so she taught herself how to track down online criminals, how to handle the situation, and how to stay safer online. After 10 years of being a victim, her cyberstalkers were brought to justice. Unfortunately, not all internet crime stories end with a happy ending. Really, anyone of any age can become the target of a cyberbully. And quite honestly, victims are getting younger and younger every year when it comes to being cyberbullied. Throughout Cyberbullying and the Wild, Wild Web, Hitchcock explains how someone can become victim to cyberbullying and how they can stay safer online. Offering victims, and parents, the chance to be able to relate to and truly understand the unfortunate reality of cyberbullying through real-life examples of what happened to someone who had been through a similar situation. For much-needed practical advice, from an expert who truly understands the threat of cybercrime, this is a must-have resource to combat the ever-growing problem of internet crime in our society.