"Learn to Minimize the Risk of Being Cyberstalked" Miami Herald (11/13/00) P. 30; Grossman, Mark As computers become an ever-greater presence in peoples' lives, so does the specter of cyberstalking. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office says roughly 20 percent of its stalking investigations are Internet-related, while the New York City Police Department estimates that nearly 40 percent of all its computer-related cases deal with cyberstalking. Although almost every state has statutes that criminalize physical stalking, only about half have specific cyberstalking laws on the books. While some states such as Florida have written their real-world stalking statutes broadly enough to apply to cyberspace, many experts believe that specific Internet-stalking laws need to be created in all states. To reduce the risk of being stalked in cyberspace, experts warn that personal information should never be revealed online, screen names should not give away age or sex, and extreme caution should be exercised when meeting a cyberfriend in the real world. The meeting must be held in a very public place and a friend should be brought along for protection. -- archive: http://theMezz.com/cybercrime/archive unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] url: http://theMezz.com/alerts ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
