The college student said she walked the rest of the way home that first night her ex texted her with the uncomfortable feeling that he might be crouching in the bushes, even though she knew he lived several states away. Technological developments "along with their many benefits, bring with them ever greater potential for abuse," the court wrote. The defendant tried to get aggravated harassment charges thrown out by arguing that text messages were not as serious as phone calls or letters and were not covered by state law, but the court disagreed. It was the agency's first measure of the emerging practice, said Katrina Baum, one of the study's authors. The report found that in 2006, 23 percent of stalking or harassment victims reported that the stalker had used some form of cyberstalking, such as cell-phone texting or e-mail, to harass them. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics released last month confirmed that stalking by texting has become a pervasive problem. Adding further sting, victims are often charged by their cell-phone companies for receiving the messages.Ī study of stalking by the U.S. Text messages antagonize recipients in a way that is not easily ignored: Most people are never far from their cell phones, and the gadgets tend to blink and chirp until unopened messages are acknowledged.
Her ex had found her photo online and attached it.Īs text messaging has boomed in recent years, it has also given rise to so-called textual harassment. "You should keep to yourself and stay away from other people," the message said, according to the student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she feared for her safety. Then one evening, her cell phone signaled a new text message.
She ignored the barrage of e-mails, changed her phone number, and dismantled online profiles to cut him off. The college student had endured months of online and cell-phone harassment from her ex-boyfriend.
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