Written by Samantha
Description: An article about cyberstalking
Instructions: Read the short article below and answer the questions or fill in the spaces
According to crime experts, stalking is not only described as unwanted and obsessive* attention by an individual towards another person but also it is a form of harassment. Today, stalking is now possible via the Internet and other electronic means. When stalking occurs through technology and the Internet, it is called cyberstalking.
Anyone regardless of age, gender, occupation and family background is capable of cyberstalking There are some cases of obsessive males who cyberstalk their current or former* girlfriends’, wives’, classmates or female work colleagues’ at home or in town. Some of them send inappropriate emails to the victims. There are cases of cyberstalkers who use mobile text messages, chat rooms or social networking sites to spread lies against the victims in order to ruin their reputation within the workplace, community or at school. Other than stalking or spreading lies via technology, some reported cases have shown a few cyberstalkers have resorted to physical stalking, assaulting, vandalising*, prank calling* and trespassing at the victim’s workplace or home. Moreover, some cyberstalkers are reported to have sent poison pen letters* to the victims via mail. However, there are cases where physical stalkers turn to the cyberstalking as another method of harassing their victims online without getting caught.
Being a victim of cyberstalking is unpleasant and no person should endure* the negative experiences involving a cyberstalker. Cyberstalking can leave victims stressed and terrified* everyday. As cyberstalking is now becoming prevalent*, it is now recognised as a criminal offence in developed countries. We can stop cyberstalking by not only reporting the matter to the police but also contacting the internet service provider or mobile phone service provider to track down* the cyberstalker. In addition, documenting* every incident involving a cyberstalker into a diary can be solid* evidence in court to ensure that he or she will be going away for a while*. Giving our moral and emotional support to the victim of cyberstalking is crucial* in helping him or her to recover from the ordeal* of cyberstalking.
Vocabulary
- obsessive – the act of obsessing over someone in an abnormal and unacceptable way
- former – a past relationship that a person has or had with someone
- vandalising – the act of destroying a town’s public property or someone’s property e.g. house, car, etc.
- to endure – to experience and put up with something
- terrified – frightened
- prevalent – very common in a particular place, time or a group of people
- documenting – the act of recording or noting every past and present incident for another person to read or look at
- solid – real and truthful
- crucial – important
- ordeal – an extremely unpleasant experience
New Phrases:
- prank calling – the act of making unwanted and unsolicited telephone calls which is usually done as practical jokes but can be considered as harassment depending on what the caller is doing
- poison pen letters – letters that contain abusive or nasty contents meant to frighten or upset the recipient
- to track down – to find someone
- going away for a while – to serve time in prison for a short term
