The Eagle Eye

Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: News

Media Credit: google.com Internet harrassment has become a problem at LHU as cases of cyberstalking have become more of a common occurance.

Over the course of the year 2008, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recieved 13, 867 charges of sexual harassment. According to a poll done by the Washington Post in 2006, 62 percent of students felt that they had recieved a comment from another person that they felt was innappropriate, but that was routine.

Here at LHU, campus police officer Scott Bissman said that while harassment still happens on campus, it's not a widespread problem. "Usually it's harassment between roommates," Bissman said. While student to student sexual harassment occurs, Bissman also stated "We see a few incidents where faculty are involved."

So far this month, the crime log has shown 5 reported incidents of sexual harassment on campus. Last month, there was a total of 5 as well.

However, Bissman did mention that officers have seen a great increase in online sexual harassment, also known as cyberstalking. "I think it's the generation," Bissman said, "it's way more prevailant now."

According to the online organization "Working to Halt Online Abuse" or "WHOA," between the years 2000 and 2008, a total of 2519 cases of cyberstalking were reported. Of that total, 234 were from last year alone.

WHOA tracks all cases of cyberstalking and charts them by gender, race, and age. To view the statistics, visit http://www.haltabuse.org/resources/stats/Cumulative2000-2008.pdf.

But, what happens to cyberstalkers, or harassers in general? On campus, victims are asked what they would like to see happen. "The majority of the responses we get are of the victim just wanting it to stop," Bissman said. "We will then call the offender and say 'hey, what you are doing is out of line' and from there it usually stops. Most of the time we also refer them to Student Life and get them someone to talk to."

With ongoing cases, however, charges are sometimes pressed. "We tell them they will have to deal with the law and the courts," Bissman concluded. In cases of cyberstalking, "right now harassers only recieve a misdemeanor charge." To aid in getting more serious punishments for those who cyberstalk, students are encouraged to write to their congressman.

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