The Pattern of Internet Mobbing

By David Simms, Senior Contributor
The Global Institute for Cyber Safety and Standards

Internet mobbing is defined as a repeated pattern of negative intrusive violational behaviour carried out against one or more targets and is the phrase most used in continental Europe as opposed to bullying. Mobbing consists of a host of damaging behaviours including constant criticism, refusal of valuing and acknowledging, undermining, discrediting, and humiliation of a targeted individual. 

Every mob has a leader who is either an extrovert or introvert. If this person is an extrovert, it is usually obvious who is inciting and coercing members of the group. However, if the leader is an introvert type, they are likely to be acting behind the scenes manipulating group members into harassing the selected target – introvert bullies are much more dangerous than extrovert types. 

In a mobbing situation, the leader typically incites supporters, copycats, or inexperienced, immature, and emotionally needy individuals with poor values, to engage in actions against a selected target. Once they do this, the chief harasser will often feel a strong sense of gratification and empowerment knowing they are causing such adversarial interactions. This is a salient feature of people with psychopathic personality. 

One technique used by psychopathic bullies is to empower lesser bullies by enticing them to positions of power and authority – things they crave. Once installed, the lesser bully’s lack of competence makes them dependent on the chief psychopath, resulting in a state of willing compliance. One characteristic of those lower down in the mob is that they lack the intellect to understand the nature and manner of their compliant subservience. But it is usually these that a targeted individual is deceived into fighting, blaming and trying to hold accountable, rather than the group leader responsible for the attack. One of the primary reasons psychopathic mob leaders get away with their behaviour repeatedly is that nobody would believe they could be capable of such viciousness.   

Onlookers and Mob Psychology

David Simms, Senior Contributor

In most internet stalking or harassment cases there are three parties involved: the perpetrator, the victim, and the onlooker. When someone is the target of cyber harassment, they can feel violated and helpless against their attacker.  But the suffering can be intensified if the victim is aware others are viewing what is happening and do nothing to help. So in addition to the pain they already feel, the sense of abandonment a victim feels can be all it takes to push them to suicide. Some onlookers may not want to become involved for fear of becoming a target themselves or may feel inadequate in what help they could bring.  Many times onlookers believe nobody is aware they are even there and can therefore observe without feeling guilty for not helping the situation. 

The great irony is that onlookers become part of the equation through observing it, even though they usually want no part in it.  In certain cases onlookers may join forces with the perpetrator to help dish out punishment to the victim. People who do this either participate because they discover they won’t be held accountable for their actions by law enforcement or are convinced by false perceptions that they are participating in a righteous act ordained by God, punishing the wicked. In any circumstance, it can quickly transform into mob-like behaviour where a victim suffers at the hands of many. Mob psychology is such that an outside attempt to change the prevailing view will be unsuccessful. If questioned about their actions, regardless of their irrationality, the mob will defend and justify their activity. Individual components of the mob are weak and directionless however in a group they have inertia. Individuals in the mob are expected to go along with what is collectively believed. Nazi Germany is a classic example. 

Mobs are innately dumb and easily controlled once they are convinced of a reality, regardless of its credibility. It is obvious that mobs in relation to a cyber harassment campaign can be one of the most reckless and ruinous entities there is.

Online Gang Stalking and Mobbing

By David Simms, Senior Contributor

The word “mobbing” is the bullying and harassment of an individual by a group of people in any context, such as a family, friends, peers, school, workplace, neighborhood, community, or online. Mobbing can take several forms, some of which may not be obvious. It is a common dynamic found in the workplace where co-workers gang up on someone to force them out by spreading rumours, using subtle innuendo, as well as discrediting and isolating them.  Obviously the execution of such behaviour is supplemented through internet and other electronic communications. Sometimes the mobbers don’t realise they are part of the mob but are acting on what they believe is the right thing to do based on the prevailing opinions and perspectives. Bullying is a type of mob behavior and can be sparked by the smallest of incidents. For whatever reason, a person is targeted and a rumour is started about them. This generates a prevailing opinion amongst a group who then participates in a collective attack on the individual. 

In a closely related phenomenon, the term “gang stalking” refers to the stalking of an individual by several people who know each other and who have common intentions and objectives.  What distinguishes this type of mob-like behaviour is the psychological wearing-down factor. Gang stalkers utilise the internet to create a false reality about an individual by means of subtle perturbations of the facts. The intent is to make the target believe they are going insane. One of the frightening aspects to this insidious crime is that it is executed in such a way, a victim attempting to explain the situation to authorities, will be easily dismissed as being overly paranoid or crazy.  It renders the victim helpless and ensnares them in a vicious cycle where the more they try to explain, the more they appear insane. If a victim does not have credibility or support from those close to them, this type of crime can have disastrous and fatal consequences.