Here are five things to about online harassment and cyberstalking:
1. Online harassment varies by gender
According to Pew Research, women are more likely to experience certain types of "more severe" harassment, such as stalking and sexual harassment. About 26 percent of women ages 18-24 said they've been stalked online and 25 percent have been sexually harassed.
» WATCH: Greene County prosecutor describes social media’s dangers
2. Young people experience harassment even more
About 65 percent of Internet users ages 18 to 29 have experienced some type of online harassment, according to Pew Research. Users ages 18 to 24 said they’ve been the victim of at least one type of form of harassment. Some of the harassment included physical threats, sexual harassment and harassment over a long period of time.
This story is personal for me. A lot of you may have seen some of the nasty posts through the years. I have stayed silent until now. I hope my story will help others who are being bullied. @whiotv https://t.co/roY7iJlbiN
— Gabrielle Enright (@GEnrightWHIO) July 5, 2018
3. Identity is often hidden
About half of those who are harassed online don’t know who is behind the threats or harassment, according to Pew. About 38 percent said the messages came from strangers while 26 percent said they just didn’t know the real identity of the person.
4. Social media plays largest role
About 66 percent of harassed people said it occurred on social media. People also used email, discussion sites and online gaming sites to harass people.
» LOCAL: Wright State professor talks about being cyberstalked
5. Protect yourself
IF SOMEONE IS STALKING YOU ONLINE, EXPERTS SAY:
- DO NOT RESPOND OR INITIATE CONTACT WITH THE PERSON, ONCE YOU'VE TOLD THEM TO STOP.
- FILE A POLICE REPORT.
- KEEP A RECORD OR LOG OF EACH CONTACT.
- SAVE ALL E-MAILS, TEXT MESSAGES, PHOTOS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
- GET CONNECTED WITH A LOCAL VICTIM ADVOCATE
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