The Dark Side of Free Speech, Pt 2
Cyberbullying
Nothing is further from the truth. Our culture and probably most others have historically felt that bullies are bad news, but that being bullied is also a rite of passage.
We celebrate bullies in entertainment as warriors and winners (even as we also celebrate a bully getting his or her comeuppance), and despite hazing in schools, the Our politicians are often famously bullying in nature. Without there are dead bodies, it looks that we expect people to just put up with it (or fight back ).
As harmful and heinous as bullying can be, cyberbullying takes things a step furthermore, the attacker is often anonymous - The potentially viral nature of such posts - that is, the the cyberbully is often emboldened. ability for these posts to be replicated broadly, quickly, and endlessly - does not happen in a face-to-face encounter.
The bullying happens at a location in space - a street corner or the office, sometimes. A bullying is often (a non-cyber) bullying event happens at a moment in time and then is over. witnessed, with the victimizer known to everyone present. A cyberbullying incident, on the other hand, can be spread distributed worldwide, and can be distributed with hundreds of people in seconds and millions of people in fairly short order, can persist for a lengthy period has no one to answer for their action.
These sites cause a pile-in effect, with fellow nasty travelers some may not realize or care about the damage they cause; others delight in it.
One unfortunate creation of cyberbullying is "revenge porn." Some such postings are designed to embarass associates of the person who are sites of the Internet that are in place solely to embarrass and hurt people (mostly women) by electronically publishing and reposting sexual images of a former lover or interest. Even well-known individuals may participate in the ugly behavior, such as the recent case of a hip-hop star and his site featuring pornographic video of a girlfriend of hip-hop in his beef with a rap.
Many victims of seemingly endless cyberbullying, including clients who have come to us for help, have had their own own self-esteem devastated. Others have been driven to substance abuse, dropping out of school or society, and such bullying behavior has been implicated in suicides. While not usually considered a crime, it is far from victimless.
Cyberstalking
While a cyberstalking is a more specific form of cyberbullying, and like cyberbullying, is much more by the anonymity possible via the Internet. It is the use of the Internet and other technology to harrass someone, although some cyberstalking can be secret for a time. While a "traditional" stalker may shadow a victim 's movements, spying on them from hidden areas, or with binoculars or telescopes, the cyberstalker keeps an eye on their target (s) electronically.
Much of our social life is semi - public these days, on social media such as Twitter & Facebook. The Internet makes it easy for a person to hide his or her identity, make a fake identity, or pose as someone else - as a false friend despite - making it simple to spy on a person 's activities via social networking. Like cyberbullying, the ease of anonymity on the Internet maybe embolden the cyberstalker, thinking (often correctly) that they will not be found out.
In some cases of the stalker has managed to research and guess credentials for some of these cases, the online accounts making it easy to discover the victim & # 39; s whereabouts, conversations and correspondence. perpetrator will even impersonate the victim, sending faked emails and messages, posting as the victims themselves, or publishing embarrassing images as if the victim themselves were the source of the statements, pictures, or videos.
This applies to all government in the United States, Federal, State, local entities You are free to speak in "The Public Square." Note that the concept of the Public Square applies only to governmental entities, property and officials. It does not apply to private or commercial property. Property owners or business owners can prohibit you from anything, or from saying anything at all on or within their own property, business, or broadcasts unless it is otherwise allowed.
Stalkers can find it way to infiltrate themselves into the fabric of the victim themeselves into the fabric of the victim s financial, social, and family life, leaving personal lives in tatters. Though it is easy to read about such events and behavior - it's # all That the cyberstalker is often trying to damage the victim & # 39; s reputation, the reactions of those close to the victim often further the stalker & # 39; s aims.
And while cyberstalking is illegal in many places around the country and around the world, these actions rarely rise to the level law enforcement needs to see in order to take it seriously, or to investigate. Read between the lines in the news and you will find find That almost all arrests that include cyberstalking also include a dire threat, a violation of an existing restraining order, ID theft, theft of physical property, or child abuse.
Trolling
Internet trolling is a behavior and the troll intends to inflame, upset, or otherwise damage civil discourse. In the context of this series of articles, it tends towards disabling the online or public communication of others through the use of vile invective, insults and other verbal havoc. It is often misogynistic. The ability to be anonymous on the Internet removes a lot of the inhibiting feeling be un una civilly.
What To Do?
A common thread through the described behaviors is the ability to be anonymous on the Internet for. There is anonymous on the problem, but this case, the solution would be arguably be worse than the problem Both have played a huge role in the very creation of our nation and continue to protect those who would speak out about abuses , even as said anonymity allowing other kinds of abuse. What are we to do?
In Part 3 we discuss what we can do and what is being done - both legally and societally - to limit damaging cyber behavior
