Abuse Using Technology

Online harassment and cyberstalking look a lot alike. They also often happen at the same time. However, the laws covering each may differ.

Cyberstalking laws usually require proof of a few things. One is that the harassment made you feel scared that you or someone else was in immediate physical danger. Another is that the abuser knew or should have known it would make you feel that way.

Online harassment laws often don’t require proof that the abuser knew or should have known his/her actions would scare you. Instead, online harassment laws may require that:

• the abuser meant to annoy or alarm you, and possibly that s/he knew or should have known the actions would do that; and
• there was “no legitimate purpose” for his/her actions.

Both sets of laws usually require proof of a “course of conduct,” which means a pattern of incidents.