Chasing Wattpad

You might be a Wattpad stalker if....

I worked a few stalker cases in my day. Real serious cases too. Every state has it's own laws about stalkers. Most of them differentiate between stalking and harassment. Usually, but not always, the thing that tips harassers over the line into stalkers is the fear or threat of violence or intimidation. It's a fine line and law enforcement has difficulty finding it. Stalker cases are difficult to prosecute because often the stalker and the victim have never met and it is always difficult to prove fear or intimidation. 

Stalking is basically just unwanted or obsessive attention that tends to annoy or put someone in fear for their safety. Can someone be a stalker if the "stalkee" does not know they are being stalked? Well, for the purposes of law-enforcement not really. There is no crime if the victim is not aware of the actions of the stalker. Stalkers, however, usually do commit other crimes while in the process of stalking that law enforcement can charge them with if they can't get them for stalking. These are usually things like computer security breaches, criminal trespass, and peeping Tom crimes. 

It is entirely possible that someone is obsessed with you and you are not aware of it. It happens all the time. Can you be obsessive about someone without being a stalker? Sure, it happens all the time. When does someone cross the line? That's easy. They cross the line the moment they are told to stop and they do not. That is the moment that the stalker knows his attention is unwanted and that is the moment he is committing the crime of stalking. 

Stalking has become more prevalent since the onset of the internet.  Twenty years ago it was unwanted phone calls and letters or following someone that got people in trouble for stalking (though they didn't call it that yet) . Now you can do it online. And that really sucks for the victims because online crimes are notoriously hard to prosecute. There are always jurisdiction problems and very few law-enforcement agencies are willing to work online crimes. 

So what about Wattpad? Are there stalkers on here? Yes. Lots of them. I have already heard of several cases where people are harassed and threatened after the victim has told them to stop. Though to be honest, it probably happens a lot less here than other sites. 

Here are a couple of things that can keep you out of trouble:

WATTPAD IS NOT A DATING SITE. Don't treat it like one. If you are here to meet women or men for the purpose of developing a romantic relationship, - get the h*** off right now. People come here to share their writing. If they want to talk they will want to talk about that. If you are here cruising for men or women you need help. Go find a real person. Do what everybody else does and go to Facebook for that kind of thing. Lol. I'm kidding. Find a real dating site. You are just embarrassing yourself here. 

DON'T PRIVATE MESSAGE PEOPLE IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO. Leave messages out in the open for everyone to see. Once you take things into the private messaging room things can happen that you have no control over. It's easy for some people to get attached or even fall in love online. It happens all the time. Then for some reason someone wants out. Then the fun starts. 

And if you do message be careful who you are talking to. You could be talking to a child. If you don't know, ask them. If they are underage leave all contact out on the profile page where you can talk freely about writing and others can join in. Don't private message with kids. It's kind of creepy anyway. Stalker. Lol. 

POETS ARE STALKER MAGNETS. Seriously, my dear poets, what did you expect? You think you could just sit there in the comfort of your own home and write about true love, romance, and sex not get the stalkers attention? True love, hot sex, body parts flying everywhere, you think you can just do that and not pay the price? Well, okay, sometimes you can. But other times no. The stalkers will look for you. Sorry, it's the price of playing the game online. Somebody will fall in love with you. You may not like it. 

And it's not just poets. Writing is sexy.  Some people can't handle sexy. Lol. 

I know some of you are reading this right now and thinking. Damn, that's me. Could you be a stalker and not know it? Sure, a majority of stalkers who are arrested do not believe they were stalking or doing anything wrong. Is that you? Well, lets see. 

YOU COULD BE A WATTPAD STALKER IF....

YOU HAVE SEVERAL ACCOUNTS.  Some of you have a bunch of them. I can see where you might need to get a different one if you are being stalked and you needed to get a way from the stalker. But most of you don't do it for that reason. Most of you do it because you want to follow somebody who does not want to be followed. Very clever. Very clever indeed. Cut it out. 

YOU KEEP MESSAGING SOMEONE WHO TOLD YOU NOT TO.  Ahhh...unrequited love...Stalker! If she or he has not responded to the last 5,000 messages you have sent and you still think that maybe her battery phone is dead then you, my friend, have a condition.  You need help. Cut it out. She doesn't want you. She will never want you.  You are embarrassing yourself. 

YOU KEEP CHECKING YOUR PHONE EVERY MINUTE TO SEE IF SHE OR HE HAS POSTED SOMETHING.  Okay okay you could just be a fan. People have them. I even have one. Just one. And I am pretty sure it's my sister. But I think she just wants to make sure I don't write anything about her. If you are checking your phone every minute to see if she has posted something then you are on your way to being a stalker. Unless it's my stuff you are looking for. That's understandable. It's great stuff. Carry on.

Look, in all seriousness, stalkers can be dangerous. If you think you are becoming one then sit back and evaluate the reason for you being on here. If you think you are the victim of one then tell them not to bother you and don't engage them again. Ever. Contact Wattpad and report them. The moment you engage them again they win. Your attention is what they want. Don't give it to them. 

Well my dear writers I hope you are never the victim of a stalker. I hope your experience on Wattpad is a good one. Have a great writing day.  

My next post will be "Wattpad addiction. Is it too late for me?".