A comparative analysis of cyberbullying and cyberstalking laws in the UAE, US, UK and Canada

© 2019 IEEE. Bullying and stalking through cyberspace have become serious phenomena in the Internet era, impacting mainly young users and teenagers. Many tragic incidents have occurred, especially in the West, including self-harm and suicide due to these problems. To protect the victims many countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada have codified laws dealing with cyber-crimes, including cyber-harassment. To determine the adequacy of such laws in addressing these issues, we present in this paper a legal analysis of the existing anti-bullying and stalking laws in the UAE, US, UK, and Canada. The purpose is to gain perspective on the characteristics of the laws and their ability to protect society from various forms of crimes associated with cyberbullying and cyberstalking. The paper also presents recommendations to help combat cyberbullying and cyberstalking and protect our youth from these issues

Cyberstalking: a content analysis of gender-based offenses committed online.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.The 21st century has come up with the increased usage of technology and this has been welcomed by cyber stalkers for it has exacerbated cyberstalking. Cyberstalking therefore has grown considerably within the contemporary environment. Cyberstalking entails the inappropriate, uninvited social exchange behaviours initiated by a perpetrator via online or wireless communication technology and devices. Forms of cyberstalking includes sending threatening or obscene electronic emails, harassing in chat rooms, spamming, tracing another person's computer and internet activity, and posting threatening or harassing messages on blogs or through social media. The study utilised qualitative research methods in which documentary search was utilised as the secondary source of data collection. The study therefore gathered that gender based offences have considerably increased online. The study gathered that women (particularly young women aged 18-24) disproportionately experience severe types of cyber harassment, namely cyberstalking and online sexual harassment. The study also gathered that there are a number of ways which have been documented to deal with cybercrime. Raising awareness, setting up and supporting peer-support networks for the eradicating gender based offences committed online and there is need for industry regulations such as punishment from using twitter and YouTube if found to be offensive. The study also gathered that cyber stalkers are motivated by a number of ways. The first category are those that need to fulfil the psychological needs, wishes, or cravings regarding the victim on the part of the perpetrator and the second category are those motivated by the need to instil fear and gain control over the victim. The third group consists of those cyber stalkers who are motivated with the need to seek revenge or punish the victim. And the last group of cyber stalkers are those motivated by the need to build a relationship with the victim. The study therefore recommends for the need to implement cyber stalking regulations within South Africa for the ones that have been acted are not being efficient in combating cyberstalking

Integrating Behavioural Analysis within the Digital Forensics Investigation Process

This programme of research focused on incorporating Behavioural Analysis (BA) within the digital forensics investigation process. A review of previously developed digital forensics investigation models indicated a lack of sufficient consideration of the behavioural and motivational dimensions of offending, and the way in which digital evidence can be used to address these issues during the investigation process. This programme of research aimed to build on previous work by scientific researchers and investigators by developing a digital forensics investigation model which incorporates greater consideration of the behavioural and motivational implications of case-related digital evidence based on current theoretical understandings of these aspects of offending from forensic psychology. This can aid with understanding of the crime events and reconstruction, and lead to the development of more detailed models and guidelines for examining computer-facilitated interpersonal crimes. The first study employed an abductive approach to forensically analyse individual cases (real cases obtained from the Dubai Police archives) applying BA to the online Sexually Exploitative Imagery of Children (SEIC) and cyberstalking. Its aim was to investigate what BA could contribute to the digital forensics investigation of cases within these crime categories. It identified five benefits: (1) providing focus, speed and investigative directions, (2) inferring victim/offender behaviours, (3) inferring offender motivation(s), (4) identifying potential victims, and (5) eliminating suspects. This was followed by a survey study empirically examining the perceptions of national and international digital forensics practitioners regarding the use and utility of BA during the process of investigating SEIC and cyberstalking cases. The results indicated that while the majority believed that BA has potential to contribute to many aspects of digital forensics investigations, their daily investigative activities involved a limited use of this technique. The implications of the study were outlined, and emphasised the need to design a digital forensics investigation model that provides guiding steps and illustrations on how to utilise BA in digital forensics investigations. Based on the findings from the conducted studies, a digital forensics investigation model that incorporates aspects of BA was designed. It aimed to provide a pragmatic, structured, multidisciplinary approach to performing a post mortem examination, analysis, and interpretation of the content of the digital devices associated with computer-facilitated interpersonal crimes. Two comprehensive case studies were also used to illustrate the investigative importance of the model in investigating computer-facilitated interpersonal crimes

The Chilling: A Global Study of Online Violence Against Women Journalists

With the support of UNESCO, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) has published a groundbreaking, book-length global study on online violence against women journalists, documenting alarming trends and offering solutions to this pernicious problem. The Chilling: A global study of online violence against women journalists is the most geographically, linguistically and ethnically diverse research ever published on the theme. Publication of the 300-page book, concludes a three-year research project originally commissioned by UNESCO in 2019

Strengthening e-crime legislation in the UAE: learning lessons from the UK and the EU

The electronic revolution brought with it technological innovations that are now integral to communication, business, commerce and the workings of governments all over the world. It also significantly changed the criminal landscape. Globally it has been estimated that crime conducted via the internet (e-crime) costs more than €290 billion annually. Formulating a robust response to cybercrime in law is a top priority for many countries that presents ongoing challenges. New cybercrime trends and behaviours are constantly emerging, and debates surrounding legal provisions to deal with them by increasing online tracking and surveillance are frequently accompanied by concerns of the rights of citizens to freedom, privacy and confidentiality. This research compares the ways that three different legislative frameworks have been navigating these challenges. Specifically, it examines the legal strategies of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). The UAE is comparatively inexperienced in this area, its first law to address e-crime was adopted in 2006, sixteen years after the UK, and so the express purpose of this study is to investigate how e-crime legislation in the UAE can be strengthened. Drawing on a range of theoretical resources supplemented with empirical data, this research seeks to provide a comprehensive account of how key e-crime legislation has evolved in the UAE, the UK and the EU, and to evaluate how effective it has been in tackling cybercrime. Integral to this project is an analysis of some of the past and present controversies related to surveillance, data retention, data protection, privacy, non-disclosure and the public interest. An important corollary of this research is how e-crime legislation is not only aligned with political and economic aims, but when looking at the UAE, the discrete ways that legislation can be circumscribed by cultural, social and religious norms comes into focus

San Diego Residents’ Perceptions of the Illegality of Cyber-Bullying Among Middle-Schoolers

The teenage suicide rate in the United States has drastically increased as a result of continuous cyber-bullying behavior among adolescents. Little is known about San Diego County residents’ perceptions regarding the possible federal criminalization of cyber-bullying among middle-schoolers. The purpose of this study was to explore to what degree San Diego County residents believe that acts of cyber-bullying committed by middle-schoolers should be deemed a criminal offense. The theoretical foundation for this qualitative study was based on the theory of legislation. The research question focused on understanding San Diego County residents’ perceptions concerning the possible federal criminalization of cyber-bullying harassment among middle-schoolers. A qualitative pragmatic study design was used to conduct semi-structured interviews and analyze the responses of the study participants. The sample consisted of 10 randomly chosen participants who resided in San Diego County, California. The study participants were recruited using the purposeful random sampling strategy. Data from the interviews were coded and categorized for thematic analysis and constant comparison. The result of this study indicated that San Diego County residents were inclined to support the possible implementation of a federal legislation if punishment was tailored to promote the greatest happiness in society without compromising the principles of humanity. The potential implications for positive social change highlighted the importance of awareness, education, and fidelity among all stakeholders involved, and include suggestions for future research

International Academic Symposium of Social Science 2022

This conference proceedings gathers work and research presented at the International Academic Symposium of Social Science 2022 (IASSC2022) held on July 3, 2022, in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. The conference was jointly organized by the Faculty of Information Management of Universiti Teknologi MARA Kelantan Branch, Malaysia; University of Malaya, Malaysia; Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta, Indonesia; Universitas Ngudi Waluyo, Indonesia; Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, Philippines; and UCSI University, Malaysia. Featuring experienced keynote speakers from Malaysia, Australia, and England, this proceeding provides an opportunity for researchers, postgraduate students, and industry practitioners to gain knowledge and understanding of advanced topics concerning digital transformations in the perspective of the social sciences and information systems, focusing on issues, challenges, impacts, and theoretical foundations. This conference proceedings will assist in shaping the future of the academy and industry by compiling state-of-the-art works and future trends in the digital transformation of the social sciences and the field of information systems. It is also considered an interactive platform that enables academicians, practitioners and students from various institutions and industries to collaborate