By Abigail Clarke: Contributing Content Blogger
I'll have a go at a tough topic. It's a bit hard for most of us to understand what delights online abusers to such an extreme, most of us not being sadistic enough to relate. Psychological terrorism is a term that has much pertinence under the umbrella of cyber hate or harassment. The people who get high on this kind of online terrorism feel a sense of godfulness I suppose whilst playing with the personal details and emotions of their target’s life. I think they indeed do believe themselves supreme to others.
The cyber terrorist usually operates from the position they'll be revealing extremely humiliating and damaging information about their victim. This type of harassment is seen associated in proper form with social engineering and cousin, mobbing. In order to achieve dominance over a victim, the psychoterrorist needs the participation of others to complete the illusion that what is being purported is believed and condoned by large numbers of people. Even if there are really only few others involved, they will intentionally leak bits of truth in a taunting way through the use of anonymous tweets or posts to at least give the illusion more people are involved than really are. These people act out in this way to overcompensate for an intense lacking of self-worth and importance.
The online terrorist has the opportunity, through anonymity, to pretend they are in an all-powerful position holding superior intellect and skill compared to the victim they are abusing. The laugh were it to be funny is these people are among the most cowardly and insecure individuals one could happen on. The worst situation a psychological terrorist fears is being identified and exposed. For if they were, they would have to face the pathetic reality of who they really are. Recognising these people for what they are is important but preventing them from carrying out their deeds is even more so isn't it? I'd like to know from the social media outlets housing these people and allowing their behaviours, just what do you plan to do about this and why is it taking so long?
