Virtual crimes against persons such as stalking and harassment are facilitated by:

Virtual crimes against persons such as stalking and harassment are facilitated by:

• A. The anonymity and distance offered by the Internet.
• B. The speed of connections.
• C. The abundance of instant messaging.
• D. The lack of privacy protections.

Answer: (A)

Online stalking and harassment are driven by the ability to hide who you are and to reach someone from far away. Anonymity lets a person mask their identity with fake profiles or concealed IPs, making it hard for victims or authorities to trace them. The distance removes immediate, real-world consequences and barriers, so harmful behavior can continue across borders and time zones with less fear of direct retaliation. While the speed of connections or the prevalence of messaging channels can help harassment happen more quickly or in more places, they don’t enable the act as fundamentally as the combination of anonymity and distance. Privacy protections matter for outcomes, but the core enabler of these online crimes is hiding who you are and staying out of direct reach.

Online stalking and harassment are driven by the ability to hide who you are and to reach someone from far away. Anonymity lets a person mask their identity with fake profiles or concealed IPs, making it hard for victims or authorities to trace them. The distance removes immediate, real-world consequences and barriers, so harmful behavior can continue across borders and time zones with less fear of direct retaliation. While the speed of connections or the prevalence of messaging channels can help harassment happen more quickly or in more places, they don’t enable the act as fundamentally as the combination of anonymity and distance. Privacy protections matter for outcomes, but the core enabler of these online crimes is hiding who you are and staying out of direct reach.