Social network outlet for e-stalkers

David Neff

It has been called a godsend for stalkers, and perhaps that isn’t far from the truth.

With the increasing popularity of Facebook and its News Feed and Mini Feed on the home page and personal profiles, some people have become concerned because it is making it easier for strangers to see what others are doing.

Although stalking isn’t a new behavior, online communities have made it easier for predators.

“With all of these social networking sites, we should expect the exact same things that happen in real life among people,” said Douglas Gentile, assistant professor of psychology. “The only difference in this and real world interaction is the amount of anonymity that is given to people over the Internet. Things happen much quicker over the Internet and social inhibitors aren’t present that would stop somebody from acting out.”

On the Internet polling site Wis.dm, 33 percent of those polled responded they would stalk somebody they either liked or hated.

“That’s just strange,” said Mark Kline, junior in biology. “I think you should at least have to meet the person once before adding them as a Facebook friend.”

ISU Police Cmdr. Gene Deisinger said there are ways to prevent stalking and gave some helpful tips to anyone experiencing the problem.

“First of all, you need to carefully consider any public information you want to make available to anybody interested. If anybody in the world can see this stuff, you probably don’t want to put up things that only your friends should see,” Deisinger said.

If someone persists in bothering you, be sure to make your feelings very clear. Deisinger said the first step in stopping inappropriate behavior is making the person completely aware that their actions are not appreciated and violate social norms.

Sometimes a stalker doesn’t take a hint and continues to harass a victim. If this is the case, Deisinger said to keep a log of any interactions with them, including voice mails, messages and personal encounters.

Deisinger said the sooner action can be taken in stopping inappropriate behavior, the better the situation will end.

“We encourage people to call the ISU Police if any actions are happening either on campus or through university property, like e-mails. We prefer to intervene early before the situation gets out of hand, so the victim doesn’t have to suffer and the perpetrator can be informed to stop before more drastic measures are taken against them,” he said.

If the stalker doesn’t stop bothering their victim, tiered approaches will be taken to ensure the public’s safety.