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How To Stop Cyber Harassment & Cyber Bullying?

Asked by sfj (51points) December 27th, 2009

Anyone who owns a computer is well aware of the nasty people out there who love to harass and stalk others online. Many people know about the terms and conditions of websites but some ignore them. Cyber harassment, stalking, bullying, defaming, flaming, trolling, etc. is all part of using the Internet and even though it is immature and inappropriate, it continues to thrive seemingly more and more.
Many times it gets very, very personal especially when one person is targeted by another and when they know each other.
This is happening to me and has been going on for several years with a relative. We have had a “flame war” going on between just the two of us even though we haven’t physically seen each other in twenty to twenty-five years or so.
At first I ignored it and then I engaged in it. That was my mistake. When I tired of it and asked this person to stop, it only made things worse to the point where it became a safety issue. This person doesn’t live in my state and when the cyber harassment and stalking wasn’t enough for her, she sent her husband from their residence all the way to my house to stalk me. She apparently didn’t have the nerve to do it herself and apparently she thought that her husband would intimidate me by standing in front of my house. The authorities were called and instead of arresting this guy, they told him to go back to where he came from. This didn’t ease my mind at all.
I know what my relative is capable of even though she didn’t show herself that day. Her online abuse and stalking got so bad that I blocked all the sites that she uses from my computer so I wouldn’t be tempted to read the garbage she posts about me.
I have contacted every agency I can think of in attempts to stop this person from harassing me but no one seems interested in helping me. I did manage to have her horrible blogs removed from most of the websites but copied them to my computer for evidence prior to them being removed.
Because I now fear for my safety and the safety of my family, I contacted my local authorities and the authorities in the county where this woman and her husband lives.
It is amazing to me that in this day and age that there is no one who is willing to enforce cyber bullying and cyber harassment unless the person is a child. I may have a case since this woman ‘crossed’ the line and made this “flame war” physical.
Has anyone else had any issues like this and if so, what did you do about it?

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