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Cyberstalking involves using computing and communications technologies in threatening ways, such as to surveil or harass an individual (online or physically), convey threats, make false accusations about an individual, or share embarrassing information (such as nonconsensual pornography). Cyberstalking has become a mechanism commonly used by intimate-partner abusers--and even by members of extremist groups--to track and access their victims. Exacerbating this problem are new opportunities for victimization brought by digital and internet-connected surveillance devices and technologies.

This study attempted to enhance understanding of cyberstalking by offering the empirical analysis on federal cyberstalking cases. This study included the analysis of the number of federal cyberstalking cases filed over time, the characteristics of these cases (e.g., technologies involved and types of victims), and case outcomes.

Users should note that while there is mention of accompanying qualitative data, these data are not included in this release and will not be released in the future.

This study investigated the use and value of digital evidence (DE) to create an evidence base for more efficient and effective DE management and processing. Researchers aimed to assess existing laboratory protocols and better understand the scientific rationale underpinning existing laboratory processes with the ultimate goal of assisting law enforcement agencies and crime laboratories in eliminating backlogs, optimizing available resources, and decreasing justice delays. The data deposited with ICPSR include the Crime Laboratories Survey Data, which describe the processes used by crime laboratories to manage and analyze DE, and the Law Enforcement Agencies Survey Data, which includes information on methods and processes for DE seizure, management, and analysis, and data about coordination between law enforcement agencies and associated crime laboratories.

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

This study was designed to understand the economic and social structure of the market for stolen data on-line. This data provides information on the costs of various forms of personal information and cybercrime services, the payment systems used, social organization and structure of the market, and interactions between buyers, sellers, and forum operators. The PIs used this data to assess the economy of stolen data markets, the social organization of participants, and the payment methods and services used.

The study utilized a sample of approximately 1,900 threads generated from 13 web forums, 10 of which used Russian as their primary language and three which used English. These forums were hosted around the world, and acted as online advertising spaces for individuals to sell and buy a range of products. The content of these forums were downloaded and translated from Russian to English to create a purposive, yet convenient sample of threads from each forum.

The collection contains 1 SPSS data file (ICPSR Submission Economic File SPSS.sav) with 39 variables and 13,735 cases and 1 Access data file (Social Network Analysis File Revised 04-11-14.mdb) with a total of 16 data tables and 199 variables.

Qualitative data used to examine the associations and working relationships present between participants at the micro and macro-level are not available at this time.

Technology-facilitated abuse (TFA) involves tools such as texting, mobile applications, smart devices, telecommunications networks, and social networks to bully, harass, stalk, or intimidate another person. In most cases, the perpetrator is usually someone the victim knows, often in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). Perpetrators exploit the reach, connectivity, and anonymity of information technology services to commit a wide range of cybercrimes targeting specific individuals that can violate the victim's privacy rights, sense of well-being, and have a lasting, damaging impact on their lives.

In partnership with Dr. Mark Cohen, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI), and Ipsos, the Justice Information Resource Network (JIRN) conducted a study to assess the costs and consequences associated with three types of TFA within the context of IPV: cyberstalking, image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), and doxing. The purpose of this project was to produce greater understanding of the harms that victims and the public more generally suffer related to TFA within IPV, both those with tangible financial costs and harms that are intangible, with attention also paid to the experiences of minors. The goals were:

1. to document the costs and consequences of three types of TFA (cyberstalking, IBSA, and doxing);
2. to estimate prevalence of these crimes via a nationally-representative, general population survey;
3. to provide willingness-to-pay estimates of their costs via discrete choice experiment (DCE); and
4. to use the results of achieving goals 2 and 3 to estimate the costs of cyberstalking, IBSA, and doxing to the United States.

This study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 consisted of qualitative work to document the consequences to victims of the three forms of TFA in their complexity and interrelatedness. Activities included interviews with service provider professionals, subject matter experts, and survivor-advocates, a literature review, and three advisory board meetings. Phase 2 involved a nationally-representative, general population survey to estimate (a) the prevalence of TFA in the U.S., (b) the proportion of TFA that is associated with IPV, (c) cost values by asking respondents that disclose victimization about their out-of-pocket costs, and (d) DCEs to estimate the costs to society (i.e., the public's willingness-to-pay) associated with cyberstalking, IBSA, and doxing.

This collection only contains the survey data. Qualitative data will be released at a future date.

This project examined the role of technology use in teen dating violence and abuse, and bullying. The goal of the project was to expand knowledge about the types of abuse experiences youth have, the extent of victimization and perpetration via technology and new media (e.g., social networking sites, texting on cellular phones), and how the experience of such cyber abuse within teen dating relationships or through bullying relates to other life factors.

This project carried out a multi-state study of teen dating violence and abuse, and bullying, the main component of which included a survey of youth from ten schools in five school districts in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, gathering information from 5,647 youth about their experiences. The study employed a cross-sectional, survey research design, collecting data via a paper-pencil survey. The survey targeted all youth who attended school on a single day and achieved an 84 percent response rate.

This study was a cross-sectional, national (United States) survey of victims designed to help law enforcement and policymakers to better understand and respond to technology-facilitated abuse (TFA), including non-consensual pornography, sextortion, and cyberstalking. The specific goals for this study were:

1. Provide information on prevalence, offense dynamics, and levels of awareness about TFA among young adults to help inform policy on this issue.
2. Develop information on the risk and protective factors associated with TFA victimization to help direct prevention and protection factors.
3. Improve understanding of what promotes or prevents help-seeking and police reporting of TFA exposure; and obtain baseline data to allow monitoring of help-seeking improvements over time.
4. Assess costs and consequences of TFA victimization to help inform policy prioritizations and better focus intervention among victims.

This study consisted of four phases. In Phase 1, the research team conceptualized and operationalized TFA domains in consultation with subject matter experts. In Phase 2, cognitive interviews were conducted with students and staff from a large state university (n=13). In phase 3, a pilot survey was distributed and data collected from 111 respondents. Phase 4 was the full-scale administration of the final survey. Respondents were Ipsos KnowledgePanel (KP) panelists aged 18-28 (n=2,639). This collection contains only the data from the full survey.