The world is becoming digital, and so does our daily life, and with the advancement of technology day by day, everyone is adopting such modern ways in their life. The same is true for criminals; they also use modern technology to commit crimes. 

You may have heard about cyberbullying and cyberstalking, the common cybercrime. Most individuals think both are the same things, but they are not. So, how do both terms differ from each other? In this post, we will see in detail their difference; let’s move ahead to know about them.

CyberBullying and CyberStalking: What is the Difference?

Cyberstalking is cyberbullying; you can think of cyberstalking as a first step or low-level crime, and cyberbullying is the next step or high-level crime. 

CyberStalking:

Using email, the internet, or other electronic communications to stalk is known as cyberstalking. An evil behavior in which an offender threatens someone, possibly a person, a group, or an organization. It is a hazardous type of cybercrime that may lead to severe psychological problems in the victim. 

In most cases, stalkers commit such crimes for revenge to impose control over their victims. However, you may have seen many instances where the stalker is some random stranger committing such a crime.

Such as a random fanatical admirer stalking a celebrity. But in reality, a stranger seldom carries out cyberstalking; more commonly, the stalker targets someone they know intimately or professionally. Their purpose could be to dominate, hold, threaten, terrify, or hurt their target. A cyber stalker can:

• Track the victim’s online and, in certain situations, offline actions
• Track the victim’s whereabouts and monitor them online or offline
• Irritate the victim;
• Humiliate, scare, manipulate, or blackmail the target
• May post fake information about them
• Obtain additional details about the victim to seize their identity
• Infect the victim’s machine with a virus
• Do other genuine crimes such as robbery or abuse. 

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CyberBullying:

The use of digital technology to bully someone is known as cyberbullying. It involves using text, SMS, certain apps, different social media platforms, and games through which individuals can chat, contact and exchange data with one another. 

In this, the offender uploads and spreads disgusting, negative, fake, or insulting data about another individual. 

They may reveal their private data causing shame and humiliation for that person. The person involved in such a crime likes the power gained by shaming and insulting another individual.

Some of the actions of cyberbullying are strictly illegal and outlawed in nature. 

Cyberbullying is a significant crime of cyberharassment and involves many harsh criminal acts, such as:

• Recording any audio or video of someone in their private place without their consent
• Publishing and spreading that material without being in their knowledge
• Sextortion (threats to expose sexual images)
• Making inappropriate and abusive messages and phone calls 
• Child pornography
• Giving death threats
• Giving violent threats
• Sexting

This type of crime is most common among the young, especially the kids. According to a study, around 37% of young people aged 12 to 17 have been bullied online, and 30% have experienced it more than once.

Check Out: How to Start Learning Cybersecurity from Scratch in 2022?

Difference Between CyberStalking and CyberBullying:

In cyberstalking, an individual becomes obsessed with gathering as much information as possible involving minor to significant details, such as birthdays, relationship status, age, education, etc. They monitor the victim’s current activities, daily activities, etc. And the main objective is to stalk and harass, but no actual harm is made. 

• Tracking down somebody’s private and personal data frightens them by messaging them dozens of times daily to let them realize you are monitoring them. 
• “Crawling” on their social media profiles to discover their location so you can make an unwelcome appearance. 
• Publishing about them constantly and without their approval are all examples of cyberstalking behaviors. 

Cyberbullying, on the contrary, is a more direct kind of bullying. The criminal keeps in contact with the victim and says harsh and cruel things to them—spreading rumors about an individual that could be embarrassing and shameful for the victim. Blackmail the person about revealing their personal, private data and, in extreme cases, discloses all the data. 

For example, if someone contacts another individual on any platform such as games, social media, or other apps, becomes friends, shares intimate images and information, and becomes personal. At some point, one individual starts blackmailing to expose all the data. In severe cases, an individual captures someone’s private moments and posts them on the internet.

The purpose is harm, and the victim could even commit suicide due to severe psychological damage.