The Women’s Resource Center will host a panel on Wednesday to inform students about a potential online threat: cyberstalking.
The panel, “It’s NOT romantic, it’s STALKING,” will enable students to learn about the dangers of cyberstalking and how to prevent themselves from being victims of cyber predators, according to Genice Sarcedo, an employee in the Women’s Resource Center.
Social media websites can be a stomping ground for a would-be predator “who could use your personal information to show up unexpected and terrorize you,” Sarcedo said.
Detective Mike “Duck” Proctor, a nationally recognized stalking expert and CSULB alumnus, will speak at the event. Proctor has more than 30 years of experience in the field, and he will provide insight on cyberstalking methods and defenses students can use on social media websites to prevent cyberstalking.
The panel at the event will include representatives from the Counseling and Psychological Services, the police, and the Office of Judicial Affairs, Sarcedo said. Members of the panel will answer questions and provide information on campus resources available to students.
College campuses are social media hotspots, according to Sarcedo. Most students post pictures about where they are and what they’re doing without taking advantage of the personal security features of social media websites, she said.
“We will share this information with students so they know how to respond to cyberstalking and deplete its occurrences,” Sarcedo said.
The panel will be hosted from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the University Student Union ballrooms.
